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8/1/1990 - Tanks are Rolling Out, the Stones are Rolling In. by Dagmar Obereigner

NOTFOR PUBIIATION INSTITUTE OFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS DO Pod DrinoPolem O0 Praha Czechoslovakia Tel August TANKS ARE ROLLING OUT THE STONES ARE ROLLING IN Peter Bird Martin Institute Current World Affairs W Wheelock St Hanover N H 03755 Dear Peter friends This August first Czechoslovakia could properly commemorate blackest periods history Soviet invasion snuffed brief period reforms installed Communist government In Prague featured poignant remembrances speeches There different commemoration possible Czechoslovakia Velvet Revolution freedom A group students opportunity surprise cultural invasion theater festival plays authors ranging Ionesco Sheakspeare The festival would start Aug street performances exhibits satire related downtown Prague This invasion would announced television night before three jesters early morning actors medieval costumes would Metro people about I briefed ahead organizer Jakub Spalek recent graduate Prague Academy Theater Arts At interrupt Czech television announcement entering capital taking certain areas At subway Music invasion message public address system We hardwood floor Academy gallery among Dagmar Obereigner Institute Fellow studying political social change Eastern Europe focus Czechoslovakia Since theInstituteofCunentWorldAffairs theCrane RogenFoundation hasprovidedlong termfellowships enable outstandingyoungadultstoliveoutsidetheUnitedStatesandwriteaboutinternationalareasandissues Endo bythelateCharlesR Crane theInstituteisalsosupportedbycontributionsfromlike mindedindividualsand foundations Soviet soldiers paper tanks greet tourists Prague historlo Charles Brldge unframed canvases modern would shown during COD Civil Defense Theater Spalek organized COD KASPAR ester independent group about students friends Prague Academy Theater Arts KASPAR received government funding festival important support Civic Forum umbrella organization remains country popular political group The diminutive Spalek knitted jester tired running adrenaline He begun working realizing event success could KASPAR But wouldn perfect It couldn This young entrepreneur become acquainted basic stumbling blocks still built system C zechoslovakia Not phone works And people They could counted envisioned They I Spalek already received complaint calls about seemingly flippant treatment solemn He May He knows anniversary means people But For people catastrophic That But beautiful We ourselves freedom It doesn occur anyone historic backward forward He twirled talked His friends It looked crafts octopus But I realized I become setting under these circumstances wearing seemed perfectly natural I early watch invasion Shortly before street quiet drizzle threatening Two people stood outside grocery store waiting The silence broken rumble On board talked about newspapers people reminded front stories I Czechoslovakia invasion filled thoughts I Old Town subway station Inside maiden velvet dress Jester banner terry cloth squire greeted sleepy commuters about COD For smiles replaced looks surprise people faces stepped escalators One however amused What think doing group No explanation satisfied He angry thought display Since I express opinion But walked disgusted turned In anarchy blazinec Blazinec wonderful colloquialism means insane asylum state insanity confusion The bearer understood For people looks playing Jan Fantys acting student Paris festival concurrent workshops His family Czechoslovakia shortly after My parents telling about Czechoslovakia Fantys French accented Czech which parents taught I looked Czecholovakia country close heart People bowls invasion goulash served slices bread cracking Russian speaking comrade He Prague hoping develop language theater international cooperation theater community He offered thoughts state republic We learned things during Russians Now learn differently And making world He quick saying politically naive I outsider I criticizing Czechs I something The world create beautiful But I oined friends subway Wenceslaus Square center where about dozen other people ccstume performed press passers A woman dressed Czechoslovak noose around woman wearing helmet speaking Russian A contingent human Soviet tanks uniforms tanks built paper around their middles prompted hearty laughter The group shuffled square looking perplexed Soviets arrived years where They fired Out burst confetti looked around spotted clothes women watching yards From their their serious expressions I guessed might stood during invasion They encouragement about The words poured The remembered yesterday Early morning people already happening alerted friends listened short radios overnight He stocking gasoline preparing anything We cried recalled women She would identify herself Vilma She arrived square shortly before People crying There tanks And bloody right Students carrying Someone already She invasion threw years If happened ahead countries Austria Vilma remembers Prague Spring people truly worked together country There It beautiful Silently watched merry invaders marching square toward Charles Bridge In afternoon President Vaclav Havel nation needed delivered speech balcony Civic Forum headquarters During summer people behavior complaints November revolution never happened One heard streets press several months after democracy established social political economic change apparent except maybe worse Laws revamped shortages consumer goods still abound people literally their building materials waiting shipment bricks comes immense absurd bureaucracy remains place guard still manages factories offices Letters editor speak about corruption people trying steal possible before economic reform takes cookie Havel mince words discussing these issues The crowd cheered remarks about tentacles invisible mafia trying property capital restaurants dangerous jungles rudeness service He urged Wenceslaus Square morning Aug Czechoslovaks again reach spirit unity desire change power November Today threatening Today determine country We blame anything anyone anymore We years afford A turned makes convenient perch people watchlng Weneelaus Square About I00 people crowded lower Wenceslaus Square Havel speak And least spirit November returned Although packed tightly could barely people smiled another lifted another children shoulders little could They their spots people behind everyone could catch glimpse their beloved president They shouted Long Awomanplacesflowersontoalivingmemorial tofreedom sheroes martyrs A picture student Jan Palach Jan after setting himself protest Soviet invasion foreground Photo right Lighting candles Wenceslaus Square Havel Long Dubcek Parliament Chairman Alexander Dubcek spoke He reform architects associated As November crowds candles hundreds flowers statue St Wenceslaus nearby living memorial freedom heroes Havel Dubcek themselves carried large bouquets People climbed Czechoslovak symbolically turned square The overnight official permission It covered peace signs other graffiti flowers stuck barrel Also Yelena Bonner widow Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov group Soviet citizens protested against invasion Czechoslovakia Moscow Red Square Au For minutes They arrested judged insane A young student classified being there mistake She released merely thrown school Three others imprisoned internal exile according protester Larisa Bogorazova The visiting Soviets received honorary Prague citizenships At honorary citizenships Stalin former Czechoslovak Communist leader Klement Gottwald former Prague Spring President Gustav Husak revoked Bonner reporters guilt shame Soviet Union about invasion She words Czechoslovakia You enormous advantage You elected Parliament government president No outside dictate anything anymore If drown passivity impatience small mindedness deserve anything something worse communism which Strong words there strong words reprimand warning prominent people voices press summer response people dropping their revolutionary showing themselves racists criminals Semites vocal Slovaks separatists But people having power cannot expected Western style getters overnight Forty years living cannot erased quickly And elements society surface opportunity especially after being under cover years One hopes Czechoslovakia problems lessened strong leadership reason sense Havel recommends personal responsibility A about Slovak nationalism So Czech Slovak governments committed remaining Czechoslovak federation It being movement establish separate Slovak state receives support Slovak National Congress United States Canada mainly people Slovak Nazi protectorate state during World War II handle Slovaks today Another theory other outside forces Soviets interest keeping Czechoslovakia unstable A referendum decide whether break federation being considered right Officials enough support either Czechs Slovaks warrant costly consuming But appear issue probably interfere Parliament More parliamentary salaries People remain irritated their amount Parliament wound agreeing crowns month salary expense allowances I previously reported Havel defends expenditure saying these people adequately tempted swayed outside financial interests Maybe different cloth other politicians Otherwise I healthy salary adequate protection against corruption One other event shook people their summer doldrums Aug Rolling Stones concert Prague The Stone probably known popular group world The group together quarter century never before perform Czechoslovakia The Prague about Ii0 tickets wound being biggest Stones summer European And biggest concert Czechoslovakia The flurry activity preceded concert unprecedented The concert mammoth Strahov Stadium called largest stadium world It holds about quarter million people Its purpose until Spartakiada massive choreographed exhibition nation physical education talent every years Between Spartakiadas field would weeds rubble When Stones advance staff arrived found facility adequate lighting But country where people years phone electricity phones alled In country where building materials scarce existent enough lumber arrived quarter barricade split stadium It large needed Ii0 spectators The Stones staff noted helped concert endorsed office President Havel which phone calls things moving along The billed benefit proceeds charity handicapped children headed Havel Olga The Urban Jungle contingent about workers About hired locally including I signed translator first Czechoslovaks would concert magnitude During concert preparations Czech staff dined imported Germany thanks I taste delicacies banana peanut butter first months The evening oncert I hostess waitress dressing We managed complete Persian television stereo For those interested things Stones brought their caterers All items including trucks England The dressing stocked staples Belgian chocolates Beck Coffee mineral water There workout table A meant Czechoslovaks their first slick Western promotion Local youths hired plaster bright colored Rolling Stones posters Prague The posters featured slogan Tanks rolling Stones rolling marking Aug invasion anniversary after revolution Soviet troops began leaving Yellow purple Urban Jungle banners ornate facades Old Town Conce tickets available several European countries several Prague locations bright yellow trailers Urban Jungle greenery painted The Stones trademark tongue stuck displayed overlooking center where statue Stalin stood The Stones promotional speaking heavily accented Czech state television The ticket price although lower usual group still Czechoslovaks At crowns represents about wages average person Prague architect Irena Patkova picked three herself husband their daughter Because family spent several trying decide whether finally decided would super experience worth For Western tourists happened Prague tickets steal about official exchange In ticket lines Prague difficult times Czechs But force during undeterred sporadic showers waving Czechoslovak flags clapping music Havel music attended concert showed Stones around Hradcany Castle government He remained enthused about later wearing Urban Jungle T shirt weekly radio He praised orderly behavior audience saying signal Czechoslovaks civilized cultured people His remarks counterpoint several recent incidents racism including Czechoslovaks protesting presence Romanian refugees transit camps opened So spirit November All Dagmar Received Hanover