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With posters and balloons from the Seimas to the Government, then back, to wait until the finished politicians go home. He applauded some members of the Seimas, whistled others.
Some collected signatures against mandatory vaccinations, others for the acquittal of Algirdas Paleckis, accused of espionage. Those for whom politics is less interesting went out to bring food.
According to such an agenda, the participants of the Great March for the Defense of the Family, who had not received official permission for this event, protested in Vilnius for three days. Some of them didn’t even hide the fact that it was just a three-day adventure in the capital.
The fight for the light and the truth
“It just came to my knowledge then. In such events, my heart recovers, after all, we fight for light and truth,” explained Aurimas, who came from Šakiai.
The carefree picnic atmosphere was felt even more in the Trakai district, a temporary camp set up by Lake Didžiulis, where the protesters returned for dinner and an overnight stay.
The campaign participants chose this location when they did not receive permission to set up a tent city in a meadow near the Seimas. From the campsite by the Big Lake to the Seimas, it takes about 15 minutes by car.
However, some participants of the march did not leave the tent city, they had to prepare a bonfire and dinner for those returning from Vilnius.
“I peeled and grated potatoes all day,” said one of the campers. Men returning from the demonstration in Vilnius baked potato pancakes.
Others stood by the pots and stirred the boiling porridge in a huge cauldron. Both beer and twigs appeared on the tables.
The silent preparation for dinner was interrupted by Petras Gražulis, a member of the Seimas who appeared at the camp.
“Peter, I want to take a picture together,” the woman said, throwing the kitchen utensils aside. He paid for the photo with potato pancakes.
P. Gražulis, who accommodated several protesters in his apartment at the Seimas Hotel, was preparing to spend the night in a tent city.
Eight tents stood by the lake Wednesday night, several other protesters stayed with relatives and acquaintances, and some went home after two days of picketing.
Lithuania is like a town
The participants of the march, who came from Rusnė (Šilutė district), Mažeikiai, Panevėžys, mostly young families, were located in the temporary complex, which has electricity, toilets and drinking water.
“We drove all over Lithuania. It is a pity that there are no Vilnius residents here or at the rally. The church is near, God is far away,” said the people who came from Mažeikiai.
Based on the tent camp, the march participants avoided not only introducing themselves but also saying where they came from.
“From Lithuania, from the countryside”, we have heard many responses in the tent city. “After all, the whole of Lithuania is like a village,” explained Kęstutis, who said he came from Panevėžys.
Panevėžys was perhaps most outraged by the destruction of the Lithuanian language and its filling with new foreign words.
Kęstutis lacked fluency in Lithuanian even thanks to outgoing president Dalia Grybauskaitė, who was welcomed by her mother, who raised eleven children a few years ago.
“It is not a text, it is a mosaic of unrelated words. I don’t know who wrote it, but the then president signed it. Therefore, I cannot call it anything other than nonsense,” the protester was outraged.
Complained of contempt
The protesters also spoke about other things that drew them in, some demanding the resignation of LRT CEO Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė.
Passions were stoked by the statement of Algis Ramanauskas, one of the hosts of the comedy show LRT, posted on the YouTube website.
The character created by A. Ramanauskas called Bronius the Great March of Defense of the Family “Py..ų maršu” and spoke of it only with bad words.
P. Gražulis appealed to the police and the prosecution regarding this file in order to initiate a pre-trial investigation for public humiliation, mockery and contempt.
Before that, this member of the Seimas submitted a request to the Prosecutor’s Office about the entry of MEP Aušra Maldeikienė on Facebook.
The politician called the march participants “a scum of spiritually dead corrupt thieves, lewd sailors and aging ponies.”
“The defenders of traditional families (including the cardinals, bishops, priests and sacristy who support them) are primitive and lustful; their whole tradition is only a very small product of man’s enjoyment of sex, at least in dreams.” wrote A. Maldeikienė.
The police also received a statement regarding the decision of the mayor of Vilnius, Remigijus Šimašius, not to issue a permit for this event: that the head of the capital allegedly instigated discrimination and abused his official position.
Incidentally, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė was also surprised by R. Šimašius’s decision not to issue a permit for the Great March for the Defense of the Family: “In my opinion, in a democratic state, the right to express one’s opinion One’s, even in the form of a protest, is a fundamental right. That right must be respected as long as the freedom, health or property of other people is not violated. “
Investigations have been started
The participants of the Family March, who did not receive permission to organize the rally, did tricks, gathered in small groups, because the campaign does not require the permission of up to 15 people.
At first, the rallies appeared to follow this procedure, but later violations were reported. As a result, the police initiated administrative proceedings for violations of the Assemblies Law.
Another investigation began on Wednesday, when one of the participants in the rally brought the flag of the Lithuanian state, which had an inscription, possibly inciting hatred. He was arrested and questioned by the police.
Swallowed harsh words
The police also announced that they had launched an investigation into the insult of the conservative Seimas member, Matas Maldeikis. The politician, who came to speak at the rallies on Tuesday, was accused of uncensored words, called a traitor, accused of “selling Lithuania” and urging “to return to his mother.”
However, the next day, Maldeikis stated that he would ask the police to stop this investigation: “I respect the police, they are doing their job. I did not contact her about the incident.
I want to emphasize that I consider that the point that was made to me is the political position of those people. We all have a right to that. “
According to a member of the Seimas, the threshold of tolerance for politicians is higher than for others: “I have other standards of criticism or dislike. I went to them myself, I knew there would be all kinds of epithets and I accept them. “
The same requirements
The march participants also invited Prime Minister I.Šimonytė to speak, but she did not agree. According to the Head of Government, she is aware of the requirements of the rallies, which have not changed since the rally in Vilnius Vingis Park in May.
A month ago, the Seimas demanded not to consider the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, not to present the draft Law of Association, not to consider the decriminalization of the possession of small amounts of drugs, to eliminate the draft Minorities Law from the Seimas agenda National, to open all schools for contact teaching.
The Prime Minister was also asked that the Minister of Justice Evelinas Dobrovolskas, the Minister of Health Arūnas Dulkis and the Minister of Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė be removed from the Government before 1 June.
Only supported by the president
On Thursday, the ranks of the rallies turned to the Presidency, where they received the thanks of the head of the country’s adviser, Povilas Mačiulis: “Thank you for your activity, it has shown that Lithuanians are an active nation. You have shown that you can defend your opinion and your beliefs. You don’t stay silent, you talk and say “.
These words were received with great joy by the protesters.
Inspired by the president’s adviser, the protesters also planned to speak at the Seimas evening session, but MPs from the vague organization decided not to let them in.
The president’s greeting was criticized
In evaluating the decision of the Presidency to welcome the participants of the Great March for the Defense of the Family gathered in the capital, Plaza S. Daukantas, political scientists saw both the aspiration of G. Nausėda to be elected for the next term. as a possible danger to democracy.
“The president can have opinions and points of view not only on taxes or public safety, but also on other issues. However, the situation is twofold: on the one hand, the president can have opinions, on the other hand, he is bound by the Constitution to protect the unity of society, the integrity of the country, to be equally fair to all and to represent all Lithuanian citizens. Society is divided, so standing in one direction and thus clearly expressing support for this movement is a somewhat critical aspect of the president’s policy, ”he praised the greeting of President V. Isoda, associate professor at the Lithuanian Military Academy.
The political scientist also noted that the presidential adviser appeared to bless the unauthorized rally with his appearance.
At the time, the political scientist M. Jastramskis stated that G. Nausėda, who had sent his senior adviser P. Mačiulis to the protesters, was simply seeking to be elected for a second term.
“Supporting aggressive, extreme and illiberal movements never promises anything good for democracy. When one day in Sweden people talk about human rights, and the next the protesters are greeted with the lips of a councilor who wants to overthrow the parliament and yesterday they shouted on the bitterness of a member of the Seimas, it is a dangerously missed opportunity to draw a line ”, commented M. Jastramskis.
According to the political scientist, although the Presidency does not take the Family Defenders March seriously and does not see it as a threat to democracy or constitutional order, these games can still spiral out of control.
