The World - News from Jan. 20, 1989

Czechoslovak riot police beat protesters with clubs and formed human cordons to drive 2,000 people from Wenceslas Square in Prague, where activists demanding more human rights have rallied five straight days. More than a dozen protesters were beaten badly and at least 10 were dragged away by police during the melee. Mayor Vdenek Horcik appealed for the “provocations” to stop. Speaking on television, he urged parents and teachers to keep young people off the streets and said the police action was necessary to maintain order.