Bound by the ties of communism until 1989, Czech people didn’t have many means of self-expression. Beatles and John Lennon tunes were banned from the city under the iron curtain, as these songs glorified the very elements missing from Czech life under communist rule: freedom and expression. When John Lennon was murdered in 1980, young activists painted his portrait on a wall, along with graffiti honoring him and defying authorities. The wall was, and still is, a monument to freedom of speech. Activists resisted police efforts to whitewash the wall and cover up the paintings, and today, the wall remains covered in artwork, flowers, and messages of peace and love.
