(source: SITA)
People took to the streets of Bratislava on Sunday for the Memento '68: In the Traces of Spilled Blood march marking the August 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops.
Organisers said they wanted the march to show the 'real and undistorted' events of the invasion and its consequences, paying tribute to the courage and sacrifices of those who resisted aggression 54 years ago.
Organizers from the initiatives Dokončime to (Let's finish it) and Mier Ukrajine (Peace for Ukraine) said that a hybrid war being waged meant the invasion and subsequent military occupation of Czechoslovakia was once again being disguised and misinterpreted as brotherly aid and protection.
"The economic, moral, and ecological damage it caused is being downplayed, the human sacrifices are being questioned. Still, we want all this to be remembered," said film director and activist Nikita Slovák.
Organisers said marking the 1968 invasion and occupation was not just about remembering the events, but also a mark of solidarity, humanitarian aid and support for Ukraine, which is currently facing Russian military aggression.
Read more about the 1968 invasion:
An overview of the events that unfolded between late 1967 and 1969
Who was the bare-chested man standing in front of tanks?
Thousands of people fled the country after the invasion.
Slovaks who fled the 1968 occupation tell us what it means to be a refugee.
Controlling the narrative was part of the story in 1968, as can be seen in the story told by radio journalist Dušan Tóth.
Young Slovaks know little about the Soviet occupation.
Some Russian politicians are trying to justify the 1968 invasion. What is Slovakia's response?
