Prague: Czechs celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution on Sunday, flocking to central Prague for concerts and speeches to mark the end of communist rule.

People light candles in Prague, Czech Republic, on Sunday while celebrating the 30th anniversary of the pro-democratic Velvet Revolution that ended communist rule in 1989. Credit:AP

The festivities took place one day after a quarter of a million Czechs rallied against Prime Minister Andrej Babis and President Milos Zeman over concerns that the pair are chipping away at democracy in the nation 10.7 million people.

The two political leaders kept a low profile during the events, though Babis paid an early-morning visit to a memorial where police beat up student protesters in 1989 - a crackdown that sparked the wider rallies against the totalitarian regime.

Babis struck a non-confrontational tone after a short visit when about a dozen protesters confronted the billionaire businessman.