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Radicals would not call the protesters
Commenting on Wednesday’s events, T. Kaikaris said on Lietuvos Rytas television show “Nauja diena” that the crowd started gathering for the protest around 7 pm, the demonstration was also guarded by police officers.
“I myself accidentally drove through the country, it was actually a large crowd of people, almost the entire square near the presidential palace was fully occupied, the police officers were present. In general, such a campaign went smoothly, quietly, no big events, “explained T. Kaikaris.
According to him, according to the laws passed by the government, vaccination is mandatory for social workers, doctors and police. The main objective of this demonstration was to ensure that these restrictions did not affect people from other professions.
The president of the Latvian youth community in Latvia stated that the image of this protest participant could be painted similar to that of Lithuania.
“You can say that they are people who get information about vaccines from portals that are not official, and people are definitely afraid. They are ordinary people, they are not radicals, but they think that vaccines bring more problems to a vaccinated person than to an unvaccinated one ”, explained T. Kaikaris.
According to him, currently around 45 percent of the Latvian population has been vaccinated, but the vaccination process has slowed down significantly.
“There are many campaigns going on right now, trying to inform the public about the benefits of vaccines that work and can save lives. They also take interviews with sick people, tell them about the course of their illness and how they survived this disaster.” T. Kaikaris said.
According to the interviewee, companies encourage their employees to get vaccinated, but mandatory vaccination would become absurd.
“When the government says that it will have the right to fire unvaccinated people, it would be absurd. Who will occupy that position and will work then?” Said the president of the Lithuanian youth community in Latvia.
He added that there are also controversial politicians in the Latvian Seimas who strongly oppose the restrictions.
“The Seimas elections will be held in Latvia in one year, which, of course, shows the new parties and the opposition that the current government cannot function or is making absurd decisions, and other parties are taking advantage of it. situation. The mobilization of these political forces is currently underway, “said T. Kaikaris.
Thousands have protested against “mandatory vaccination” against COVID-19
Several thousand people gathered in the Latvian capital on Wednesday to protest coronavirus restrictions and government plans to make vaccinations mandatory for many workers.
“For freedom!” Chanted the protesters, gathered in the largest demonstration in the Baltic countries since 2009, urging Prime Minister Krishny Military to resign and the parliament to abandon the stricter rules on COVID-19.
Most of the protesters did not wear protective masks and did not maintain a safe distance during the marches as they walked past the presidential and prime minister’s residences.
Current restrictions do not require protective masks at outdoor events. However, the number of protesters exceeded the limits allowed by current rules.
Andris Zellis, deputy head of the state police, told Latvian public radio on Thursday that no more than 3,500 people had gathered on the eve of the protest, but overall the event went smoothly.
The police have initiated criminal proceedings against several people for assaulting a police officer and breaking the glass of an official car. Zellis said that several people had been detained.
Misdemeanors committed by people intoxicated with alcohol were also recorded.
The state police also indicated that it would assess violations related to non-compliance with epidemiological safety regulations.
“Our job was to prevent provocations and riots, and we succeeded,” Zell said.
Approximately 200 people around 7 pm The local (and Lithuanian) moment arrived at the Freedom Monument, led by politician Ainars Sleseris, whose team announced plans to establish a new party “First of all – Latvia” (LPV). As the crowd grew, the protesters marched towards Riga Castle.
Aldis Guobzem, a member of the Saeima opposition, was also invited to the rallies.
After several political speeches, the organizers led the crowd towards the Freedom Monument, but the protesters did not stay there and immediately went to the nearby government building. Larger police forces gathered alongside him. On the way, a crowd of people blocked traffic on the road, but the police did not intervene.
At approximately 10 pm the organizers of the picket urged the protesters to disperse. Some participants left, but a significant number of people remained in small groups.
Approaching 11 pm there were still many people in the government, but around midnight they dispersed and the police helped clear the road in the center of Riga Street.
According to state police, officers filmed what was happening using cameras and drones to capture the criminals.
Organizers had initially requested permission for three protests, but then all were withdrawn. By Tuesday afternoon, an application had been reapplied and permission to host a public event had also been requested.
In an interview with Latvian public television, Police Chief Armandas Rukas said that the organizers of the protest would be prosecuted for violations of epidemiological safety regulations.
He said that it was the people who had registered the picket with the authorities, but it was not the “known politicians” who attended the event.
1.9 million on Wednesday. 180 new cases of coronavirus infection were reported in a country with a population of 140,505, reaching a total of 140,505. Since the start of the pandemic in Latvia, 2,566 people have died from COVID-19.
To date, more than 43 percent. of the country’s population received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 38 percent. is fully vaccinated.
