After the riots: Capitol script bypassed but message sent not to cross the red line

“Riot is a serious crime”

Speaking on the show, the Seimas opposition leader and former Prime Minister S. Skvernelis highlighted two events on Tuesday:

“First of all, the sanctioned legal rally, which has brought together a sufficient number of people who have a lot, apparently anxiety, a lot of fear, is unprecedented and perhaps a government that lacks dialogue with the government.

Of course, it certainly doesn’t occur to me when certain allusions to the Holocaust are made or bitterness is constructed. But here, apparently, you have to leave the conscience of the organizers. Most of the people who attended yesterday’s legal demonstration came to derive some of their interests as citizens.

And the second part, if you can call it part, is that the people stayed after the legal rally. The organizers also had to anticipate that, that they can stay. The person who caused it has emerged, now the preliminary investigation will determine if they were the organizers of some kind or the provocateurs. And it became a riot. And riot is a very serious crime with a sufficiently serious penalty. “

According to S. Skvernelis, during the run-up to the trial, both the arrested riot participants and the organizers and others who participated in illegal actions – both against members of the Seimas and against the Seimas, officials – will be prosecuted and evaluated. .

During the rally, journalists doing their work were also harassed.

S. Skvernelis stated that among those 5-6 thousand. people of all kinds:

“Yesterday I had to meet several people when I left the Seimas. Who can talk to, discuss who raises questions. And those with whom the discussion does not make sense. There were people like that during the legal event.

If something was done, violence was used against journalists or other people: the police had to react and remove these people from the demonstration. Maybe it would have served to avoid that western part, because it seems that those who did it could have incited people and caused riots at night.

Dialogue is needed

He himself said that he felt safe and that he just left the Seimas.

I had to hear several words, I tried to hold on, but he spoke to the people he could talk to, ignoring others in a sense.

“Now there are only the preconditions, the pre-trial investigation has to answer: was it spontaneous, was the agitated crowd used and the organizers were preparing for it. For that scenario, the picture was very similar to 2009: a peaceful rally, most of it disbanded, leaves the accesses of the Seimas, and the people who were incited at that time remain. We already had that information after that, it’s a shame it wasn’t there before. This is a pre-trial investigation to refuse.

Of course, things like riots can arise spontaneously, but there is no spontaneity if no provocateurs appear during the process. Some of them have also been detained, and the other party will be determined by the pre-trial investigation, ”said S. Skvernelis, who previously served as Minister of the Interior and Commissioner General of Police, of possible organized disturbances.

S. Skvernelis actually said that he would not have and cannot have any accusations against the officials, and that when the riots start, the public security service will be used and here a political decision from the Minister of the Interior is already needed.

“There is a certain karma and historical memory – when the demonstrations organized under the Conservative government end like this.

Perhaps it was worth building those fences before the rally, which is being done to the Government today. But of course, again, some lessons. And there are as many officers as there are depending on the situation, ”said S. Skvernelis.

When asked how to defuse the tension, Skvernel said he needed a dialogue from the government with the public.

The actions of the officials are proportionate

Laurynas Kasčiūnas, chairman of the Seimas Defense and National Security Committee, agrees that there were indeed two events and two demonstrations.

“It can be said that an active and violent minority tried to take advantage of people of certain beliefs, their well-being and positions and tried to mobilize that protest. I had to go out and communicate, I felt a very large background of misinformation, some of our colleagues from Seimas contributed to it.

Only after leaving the Seimas did I hear why we had introduced a military situation, as Gražulis said, we did not vote for his amendments so that everything is only in the border area, because now the soldiers will be able to come and control our lives. . I had to explain for five minutes that it is absurd here, we just want to combat illegal migration more effectively, ”he said.

According to L. Kasčiūnas, the actions of the officials were proportionate and appropriate:

“We have avoided the Capitol stage, basically sending a proper and proportionate message that if the red lines that have been crossed are crossed and the protests turn into riots, then there will be an official response. That’s what happened. “

The deputy said that he had no information on which people were detained in the night, he only said that he thought it was aggressive people who coordinated, contributed to the riots.

“I am not going to hide that as I go and communicate and that communication becomes more aggressive, I have really seen people who have been in line with their activities for a long time and are doing their best to make the Kremlin in the Lithuanian state more”. Various famous public figures. I think we will also have problems from a national security point of view, “said L. Kasčiūnas.

Wants names of organizers

Former SSD director Mečys Laurinkus agrees that the events near the Seimas were coordinated.

“From what is planned, I cannot say, but coordinated, it is not complicated at the moment who uses a mobile phone. It is easily coordinated not only by those around here, but also by a larger area.

I think it was. But in my opinion, this is not a test, it would be nice if the organizers were made public, etc. You should not be silent, ”said M. Laurinkus.

He also agreed that the situation could benefit those states with which relations are strained:

“I am also referring to a very close neighbor, with whom we are now experiencing another crisis, which of course they will use if they have not taken advantage of it.”

M. Laurinkus said he was very sorry that one of the organizers is a teacher, referring to Astra Genovaitė Astrauskaitė, because students can catch all messages very early on the Internet and mobile phones, so it is very dangerous.

“This pandemic is a global disaster. Personally, I am in favor of mandatory vaccines and certain forms of coercion, not physical, because it is a question of humanity, not only national. It must be explained to children, to all people”, said the former head of the SSD.

He argued that it would not have been possible to prevent such an event. Because it is impossible to predict what and where it can happen.

It takes place throughout the western world.

When asked about the members of the Seimas who are constantly seen at such and similar events, L. Kasčiūnas stated that his political condemnation is in the first place a condemnation of “people of common sense”.

This is said to be the main response to these actors. He suggested waiting for an investigation into what information would be collected, how much a member of the Seimas would participate, especially in the second part of Tuesday’s events.

“The anti-taxi movement is the main reason for this protest, it is alive throughout the western world. States that talk about tightening quarantine rules are protesting about it, so there is nothing new and original here. Several figures and actors appear in the protests ”, said the parliamentarian.

According to L. Kasčiūnas, the final phase of riot control was done very well, it was not forced, the rioters were in a place where there was an unpaved asphalt parking lot, a rocky place from where the stones flew towards the officers and their cars .

“The explosive, which flew towards the officers around two in the evening and wounded them, filled the cup of patience. I think that the response of the officials was very proportionate, very adequate and professional. I think the message is very clear that the response will be adequate in the event of future riots.

As for the early stages, there are more questions. But we are in quite a difficult situation as a state, especially considering the workload of the internal affairs system at the moment, especially considering assistance to the State Border Guard Service, ”said L. Kasčiūnas.

M. Laurinkus also stated that there cannot be many accusations against the police.

However, it would be fun and strange to see the streets full of police officers when a peaceful demonstration begins.