Prague, May 23, 1988 (ANSA). At a press conference in Prague this evening, the spokesman for the Czech Government, Miroslav Pavel, denounced the "role played by the Radical Party" in "working up popular feeling about what happened on August 21", which led to last Sunday's demonstration. "During the demonstration" - Pavel explained - "77 people were arrested, of whom 15 are still in prison". Pavel said that "general feeling was stirred up abroad about what happened on August 21, and the proof", he added, "is the presence of 15 foreign television channels and the role played by the Radical Party a few days before. The demonstration which recalled the invasion of Soviet tanks and the end of the "Prague Spring", the spokesman said, "was organised by a thousand agitators and about 400 people took part." The Czech Government "did not deal with the question of the demonstration in the meeting held yesterday after the holidays", the spokesman explained, adding that "a lot of foreigners want to see the country destab

ilised and disrupted, but it is clear that one thousand out of the country's fifteen million inhabitants, is not a significant number". According to the official estimate quoted by Pavel, two policemen and a few demonstrators were hurt. Marco Pannella declared: " If Pavel thinks that demonstrations of this calibre can be organised and even promoted by organisations - whoever they may be - without the spontaneous support of the population, he evidently understands neither Czechoslovakia nor the force of ideas and the rejection of violence and injustice by those who are their victims."