SOVIET TANKS, WITH SWASTIKAS AND SLOGANS DRAWN ON; BLOODSTAINED CZECHOSLOVAK FLAG; VEHICLES BURNING; CROWD RUNNING FROM GUNFIRE; SOVIET TANKS MOVING THROUGH STREETS; ANTI-SOVIET SLOGANS; SMALL ALTAR, WITH FLOWERS STREWN ON.

Initials DHC/B-EURO-TELE/BHH/OS

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Background: DESPITE THE TANKS AND THE SHOOTINGS BY SOVIET TROOPS IN PRAGUE TODAY (THURSDAY), THE PEOPLE OF THE BELEAGUERED CITY HAVE REACTED TO THEIR ABRUPT OCCUPATION WITH A SHOW OF BUOYANT DEFIANCE -- AS THIS FILM SMUGGLED OUT FROM PRAGUE TODAY SO GRAPHICALLY ILLUSTRATES. WITH SOVIET TANKS MENACING ALL MAIN THOROUGHFARES IN THE CZECHOSLOVAK CAPITAL, THOUSANDS OF CZECHOSLOVAK YOUTHS TURNED OUT TO SHOUT AT AND TAUNT SOVIET TROOPS HOLDING THE CITY.
SOVIET TROOPS FIRED ON YOUTH IN PRAGUE'S WENCESLAS SQUARE TODAY IN AN EFFORT TO DISPERSE THEM. AT THE SAME TIME THE SOVIET TROOPS INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD BE TAKING MORE HARSH MEASURES TO PUT DOWN THE MOUNTING WAVE OF RESISTANCE TO THE OCCUPATION. IN THE AFTERNOON A PROCLAMATION WAS POSTED OVER THE CITY, TELLING CZECH TO STAY AT HOME BETWEEN 10 P.M. AND 5 A.M. PUBLIC ASSEMBLES HAVE BEEN BANNED, AND THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT STREET GATHERINGS WOULD PROVOKE SHOOTINGS.
WHEN THE SITUATION WAS BEGINNING TO GET OUT OF CONTROL LOUDSPEAKERS IN WENCESLAS SQUARE BROADCAST AN ULTIMATUM: "CLEAR THE SQUARE BY 5 P.M. OR SOVIET TROOPS WILL SHOOT". THOUSANDS OF YOUTHS, CHANTING THE NAME OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA'S ARRESTED LEADER ALEXANDER DUBCEK, IGNORED THE ULTIMATUM. MORE SOVIET TANKS CLOSED IN ON THE SQUARE, AND AFTER THE DEADLINE EXPIRED RUSSIAN SOLDIERS OPENED FIRE ON THE JEERING, WHISTLING CROWD.
THE COVERAGE WAS FILMED BY A CZECH TELEVISION CAMERAMAN WHO WAS WOUNDED IN EARLIER SHOOTING BY THE SOVIET TROOPS. THE SCENES OF BURNING BUILDINGS AND VEHICLES AND DEAD BODIES WERE FILMED UNDER CONDITIONS OF EXTREME DANGER. THE FILM ITSELF WAS CARRIED SECRETLY ACROSS THE CZECH-AUSTRIAN BORDER AND DELIVERED TO AUSTRIAN TELEVISION, FROM WHERE IT WAS BEAMED TO THE REST OF EUROPE OVER THE EUROVISION CIRCUIT.