The Velvet Revolution (also called the Gentle Revolution) was a nonviolent movement of civil resistance in Czechoslovakia (now the countries of Czechia and Slovakia) against the communist one-party regime. It was actually the last stage of decades of organizing against the authoritarian government. It included protests, strikes, public forums, and direct actions.
Local communist politicians had attempted to democratize the country in the late 1960s and were forcibly removed and replaced. Soviet tanks flooded into the cities and the popular protest movement was violently repressed. Many dissidents were imprisoned, beaten, and killed in the decades leading up to the tipping point of this movement.
The Velvet Revolution that brought a critical mass of the public into civil disobedience started on November 16, 1989 in the Slovak capital of Bratislava. High school and university students organized a mass protest against the government in the capital. This kicked off a series of similar demonstrations around the country. The one in the larger Czech capital of Prague on November 17 is more widely regarded as the “beginning” of the revolution.
Crucial to the unfolding of these events was the situation in the Soviet Union. Mikhail Gorbechev’s government had for several years attempted to reform the USSR into a more open society by establishing genuine academic and press freedom, as well as political plurality. Propping up an unpopular regime in Czechoslovakia was no longer a priority. These measures ultimately proved ineffective in staving off the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Sources:
Statement of the Slovak Republic
Short video of the events- Houston Czech Center Museum
A deeper look at the events and strategies- International Center on Nonviolent Conflict
Visual presentation of the events- Radio Free Europe