On Saturday, students, teachers and the public honored the memory of the victims of last year’s tragic shooting in front of the building of the Faculty of Arts of Charles University (FF UK) in Prague. The rector of the UK, Milena Králíčková, stated that in order to cope with the tragedy, they had to find in themselves determination, faith, hope, trust in others and also in the academic community, informs TASR reporter.
The commemorative events began at 3:00 p.m. in the Academic parish, where held a benefit concert called Rok potom for the invited guests in St. Salvátor’s Church. It was initiated by a student at the Institute of Musicology at the Faculty of Music, UK. His director was one of the shooter’s victims. Proceeds from the concert will support the organization SOFA (Society for all), which takes care of the mental health of children and adolescents.
The guests were addressed by rector Králíčková, dean Eva Lehečková and also parish priest Tomáš Halík. “Although we feel pain and remember, today we are not only thinking about the loss, but we also perceive the strength that arose from our academic community this year. We perceive the support we gave each other, as well as the courage to continue studying and working.” Králíčková said in the church. Halík pointed out that it is not within human power to remove evil from the world and within the power of human rationality to fully understand and explain it. Czech President Petr Pavel also took part in the concert.
After the end of the concert, its participants, together with other people, went in a procession towards the university building on Námestí Jan Palach, where the shooting took place. There they honored the memory of the victims with a minute of silence. Family members of the victims placed lanterns at the memorial. Other people then laid flowers and lit candles. The Choir of Charles University also performed during the memorial service.
The devotional program continues in the Cathedral of St. Welcome to Prague Castle, where a holy mass is held for the victims of the shooting, and the Czech Brethren Evangelical Church also organizes a prayer meeting. As a sign of mourning, flags on government buildings, the House of Representatives, the Senate and other institutions are lowered to half-mast from Friday to Sunday. The memory of the victims was honored by a minute’s silence at the beginning of the meeting on Friday, and on Wednesday, before the government meeting, also the ministers.
In the main building of the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University in Prague on December 21, 2023, its student shot 13 people, one person later died in hospital. The attacker injured another 25 people and finally shot himself. Shortly before the massacre at the FF UK, he shot his father in the village of Hostouň, about a week before a random man with a child in the Klánovick forest on the outskirts of Prague.
