On 17th November 1989, a student commemoration event was organized to mark the 50th anniversary of 17th November 1939. A brutal police crackdown on some of the participants in Národní třída in Prague sparked public outrage and subsequent protest actions. An occupation strike was announced at universities, and theatre actors joined the strike. From 11th November to 26th November, demonstrations of hundreds of thousands took place daily in the centre of Prague, and censorship ended. The citizens demanded the punishment of the perpetrators of the police intervention in Národní třída, the removal of the KSČ (Communist Party of Czechoslovakia) monopoly of power, and the democratization of political life. The Civic Forum (OF) and the Public Against Violence (VPN) were established. On 24th November, Miloš Jakeš resigned from the post of general secretary. From 26th November, representatives of the OF, headed by Václav Havel, negotiated with the Prime Minister of the federal government, Ladislav Adamec. On 27th November, a general strike took place supporting democratic demands. On 29th November, the Federal Assembly abolished the constitutional article on the leading role of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in society, and on 3rd December, a new government with a communist majority was appointed; however, it was rejected by the public. On 10th December, the then president Gustáv Husák appointed a new government of "national understanding" (ten communist ministers against eleven non-communist ones) headed by Marián Čalfa and resigned on the same day. On 29th December, Václav Havel was elected president of the republic.
