John Lennon Wall, Prague

The situation of Prague in the 19th century had grown overtly volatile - no European symbols were allowed or sanctioned under the Communist regime. This led to the ban of many iconic European celebrities who claimed liberal politics. Citizens were prohibited from listening to John Lenon’s music and even curtailed from indulging in any western pop music; any such act punishable by imprisonment. This blatant refusal of authority as well as vandalizing of public property through graffiti was the subject of many thwarting attempts by the government. Security cameras were installed near the wall, the wall was continuously whitewashed, police personnel were increased and surveillance was at an all time high to ensure that this political movement was brought to an end.

These actions infuriated the Czech authorities, and these back and forth attacks led to a clash between students and authorities on the nearby Charles Bridge. Students named their uprising and revolt “Lennonism”, which was disregarded by the Czech government who described these students as mentally deranged. In spite of these efforts, the rebellious youth found ways to avoid getting imprisoned while simultaneously graffiti-ng messages on the John Lenon Wall to further the movement.