>>510246333Yes. I'm Czech actually (don't ask how I ended up in BG), and it has over the years been partially exposed here or there how all of 1990's were a big undertaking where small parts of old guard of the socialist regimes were picked to take over the countries. People who were involved already, somewhat subtly, said that this also happened with blessing of USSR.
The problem even back then was that the socialist countries used to have an independent and sovereign internal security mechanisms and actual large armies. To change the system would've been a treason in most of them, so large amounts of diehards had to be either paid off or neutralized to avoid civil wars.
The protests, like the one you posted on Václavské Náměstí all served three purposes - keep security forces busy, give plebs feeling of influence and mainly, show people at home in US/UK the "power of democracy".
Behind the scenes, people had planned who will be put in power for many years, as far back as 1986 or earlier and die-hard socialists were disposed, cut from positions or compromat was collected. Everything to ensure that the designated people who took the power would not face any resistance from legit state apparatus.
Again, the plebs in protests were utterly irrelevant to all this and have absolutely zero part in the regime change than a convenient backdrop.