The Vilnius protest sparked heated debate: did the Lithuanian youth really send the entire police “in a few letters”?

Journalist and writer Rytis Zemkauskas was surprised by the previous note on Facebook: is it happening in a country where an official has just been assassinated? The record has received a variety of reactions and, as he himself says, that’s good.

Supports the march, but has criticism.

R. Zemkauskas “Delfi” admitted that if he were younger, he would do the same as today’s youth. I did not see any vandalism or going against the law. However, according to R. Zemkauskas, this protest is not really about the young people who have taken to the streets today, but rather about the attitude of society towards change.

“The middle ground is important here: I don’t want a world that forces me to stand firmly on one side.” Because there is often no side. It is only imaginable: a repressive claim. On the middle path, both sides tend to talk about it as a cowardly compromise. In my opinion, no. Since man is not entirely clear, so is the world. It constantly moves, “said the interlocutor, adding that there is not only black or white, there are many halves.

According to R. Zemkauskas, such uncertainty is unbearable for many people: a clear answer is needed.

“Protest is a brilliant medium of expression that moves, but when emotions subside, you should try to explain it. That is exactly what should happen now. I support the march, but I have criticism,” he said.

When asked why injustices within the country do not invite people to protest, R. Zemkauskas said that such events do not take place upon request. Those who want to be heard protest. If you protest, express a position.

“The position is made public automatically. It is normal for others to react as someone likes.” If you say we are solving global problems, do not interfere with those around you, that is not right, “he reasoned.

Events in distant America sparked youth protests, but the realities of Lithuania do not receive as much attention. There is silence about them, and now here you are, please. The marches are important (Black Lives Matters), protesters announced.

“This is probably the beginning: if we do not stifle youth political activity, the latter should not be suppressed. But mass outrage requires emotional shock. In Lithuania, shooting at police is a criminal offense. Protests are sparked by large manifestations of injustice, said the writer and creator M. Ivaškevičius. “Political activism is depleting power and power structures.”

The political culture in Lithuania has acquired a procedural character: before the Renaissance, all forms of protest were accepted as anti-state, destroying the foundations.

“People are out of inertia, like obedient sheep, waiting for everything to come down from above. But young people are trying to change that,” said the developer.

There was an explosion of empathy

The new generation, from MP A. Armonaitė’s point of view, lives in the American social information space, so what is happening in the United States seems right here to them. Global campaigns are currently being carried out worldwide, from New York to Berlin and Paris. “Young people are global, and injustice has sparked such a movement. Many people were surprised, not only the Sąjūdis generation can protest, but also those born in 2000 or later,” said the interlocutor.

According to R. Zemkauskas, the only problem is that said protest was not implemented: all politics is local. And here, the political problem is basically addressed, but in no way linked to the local context: “It creates an impression of abstract globalism. For example, a pandemic. The problem is global but it is dealt with locally. All crises are managed locally. “

What should we learn from the current situation? “What you really should not do is try to silence the protesting youth. It is possible and necessary to criticize, but try to silence it if the laws are not violated, in any way,” said R. Zemkauskas.

The interlocutor emphasized that when they look for themselves, young people must decide what they want: to be fashionable, progressive or intelligent. Citizenship, in his opinion, will never be fashionable, because it is difficult and complex.

M. Ivaškevičius noted that there was basically an empathy explosion in the world: a policeman killed a black man in cold blood, and this is not the first case. “If there were no reaction in Lithuania, one would think that we are in the dark, without the Internet, we do not see what is happening in the world.” Or, as world sociologists say, we really have no empathy. The fact that the protest has taken place is a good sign, “he had no doubts.

It already coincided that the parallels with the aforementioned poster were painfully opposite: in Lithuania, the criminal killed a policeman. “Then we realized that we did not have to react to what had happened in the world.” Two different cases. What surprises me even more is the thanks to the police at the rally, why thank you? What does excess force use to kill? M. Ivaškevičius asked.

It is even foolishly clear that the protest is directed at a specific event: “The same American police officers kneel, realizing that one of them has heavily soiled the uniform, his name must be laundered by everyone else.”

Armonaitė: there were signs he did not identify with

Protests have an emotional side, unfortunately sometimes it is exaggerated. “This time, the public has rebelled against the police, who have the power to use force. The force is to strangle an unarmed suspect with an indifferent face while others watch … In fact, such events, even for our police , they are like prevention. So that none of this happens, here in Lithuania “, M. Ivaškevičius shared his ideas.

As for the aforementioned cartel, the search for culprits and solutions has begun. What can be done to prevent this from happening again, maybe someone needs to check the notes before making a picket? “Each campaign, a massive event, attracts different people. There were posters that I don’t identify with, ”emphasized A. Armonaitė, who fights for the freedom of people.

Seeing the posters, she believes, smacks of the introduction of censorship, would be similar to the Belarusian version. “Of course, someone could misinterpret my presence. However, any biased information must be critically evaluated, “recalled the politician.

He reiterated that the idea of ​​the event is respect for people, human rights. This is a campaign of racial tolerance: “There are many people with mixed abilities in Lithuania, so it is important to talk about it. You can’t say it’s just an American event. “

Launched a radical bubble

According to A. Armonaitė, part of the propaganda machine that was launched on social media before this action is motivated by racist and xenophobic views. A radical bubble war broke out: “Maybe something was tricked: social media is not a reliable space. You have to think with your head, choose grain mice.”

Until the protests turn into riots and pogroms, according to M. Ivaškevičius, everything is fine. However, some tend to take advantage of similar events, which justifies the loitering, the desire to issue anarchist views. “But we have to understand that it was not the protesters that caused the riots, but the event itself,” he said.

Saying that she had become a face of protest, MP Armonaitė responded with a smile: she joined the campaign spontaneously, simply supporting the idea: “I have always supported those who experience inequality before the law, who have difficulties due to your identity. All over the world, such support campaigns are carried out in the West. Some of them are peaceful, like in Lithuania. Others grow beyond the limits of public order. The idea is simple: we are all human, regardless of skin color, faith, or where we come from. I have seen many young people, mostly students, who came for the same reason. “

She said she had only seen positive energy in the campaign, as well as the concerns of young people, why the scandalous Lithuanian language teacher, who neglected the model of the hill in Lukiškės square with red paint, hates all people ? “It just came to our attention then. It is a pity that those who did not participate in the protest are now talking about it out loud, without even knowing what it was about,” said the Seimas member.

“For young people, a value system is still being formed, to put some labels and insults on campaign participants … After all, they are minors. If you rallied against racism, so abundantly, a good I start. We have an empathetic mind, “he said.

Maria Gevorkjan, one of the organizers of the event, assured that the march sought to honor the memory of Mr. Floyd and all the victims of police violence. I had no negative ideas. This was the first time that M. Gevorkjan, who had been living and studying in Los Angeles for almost a year and a half, decided to organize a march here in Lithuania.

Due to the quarantine, the young woman could not survive this moment with her friends in the United States, so she decided to support them here.

“I thought that about twenty people would gather, we would go to the United States Embassy, ​​we would express our support and solidarity. They gathered much more, with various inscriptions on the posters. But later, it was precisely those negative posters that were taken out of context, and we did not come for that. We have come to show what is happening in the world, to combat racism “, – said the girl and assured that she will not give up in the future. If he sees injustice, he will try to deal with it.