Authorities have banned unauthorized public gatherings in Prague following recent demonstratrations that were broken up by police, it was reported Friday. The Prague National Committee ruled that ``the right to organize public gatherings in the historical center of Prague is limited to the organs of the National Front and organizations associated with it,'' according to the daily newspaper Svobodne Slovo. The National Front is a communist-dominated organization comprising officially recognized political and social groups. ``In view of frequent disturbances in this area, the decree includes a ban on unauthorized actions and gatherings,'' the Communist Party newspaper Rude Pravo said in a report on the National Committee meeting. The report referred to recent unofficial demonstrations on Wenceslas Square that were broken up by police and resulted in arrests. The largest such rally took place Aug. 21, the 20th anniversary of the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. Unauthorized events had been tentatively scheduled Oct.28 to commemorate 70 years of Czechoslovak independence and Oct.29, when a discussion club was to convene. Both events were to take place downtown in Wenceslas Square.
