Czech President Milos Zeman pelted with eggs at Velvet Revolution ceremony
Czech president pelted with eggs, sandwiches and tomatoes by critics who want him out; other leaders caught up including German president
It was meant to be a celebration to mark the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the peaceful uprising against Czechoslovakia's communist regime in 1989.
Instead, events in Prague on Monday felt more like an uprising against the current president of the Czech Republic.
Milos Zeman was pelted with objects including eggs, sandwiches and tomatoes as he stood alongside the presidents of Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia at the university campus where a student rally launched the revolution in Czechoslovakia a quarter century ago.
Security guards used black umbrellas to shield Zeman and other presidents from thrown objects. According to the German embassy in Prague, the German president, Joachim Gauck, was hit on the head by an egg as the presidents were unveiling a plaque to commemorate the 1989 events.
In a speech, Gauck praised "all the people who aren't satisfied with their powerlessness, and who break out of their powerlessness to creatively shape their freedom".
The crowd repeatedly shouted "Shame, shame" and "Resign, resign" at Zeman, while the other presidents were applauded.
At 11.10am, at a pre-agreed moment, thousands of protesters brandished red cards at their president, while others carried banners saying: "We don't want to be a Russian colony."