Riots in Vilnius - public disturbances that took place in Vilnius on January 16, 2009 in connection with the economic crisis that swept the country.
On January 16, at 12 o’clock, the Confederation of Trade Unions held rallies near the Seimas and the government of Lithuania, at which representatives of various professions from various cities and localities of Lithuania were supposed to protest against the current policy of the government of Andrius Kubilius [1] .
About 7,000 people took part in the rally. The participants demanded to stop the economic reforms of the ruling coalition, called on the chairman of the Sejm Arunas Valinskas to go out to the people, chanted slogans. The peaceful rally went to riots when some of the protesters marched along the Gediminas Avenue to the government building, others went around the parliament building and started throwing snow at the Diet windows, eggs, stones and bottles, launching smoke bombs, chanting “Lithuania”, “Down with the Diet”, “ A shame". Police dispersed the crowd using tear gas grenades and batons; police threw stones, potatoes and eggs. 15 people were injured, including 4 police officers, 11 rioters; one of the protesters received a bullet wound in the head, another part of the finger was torn off with a gas grenade.
Damage caused is estimated at two million litas . According to the statement of the General Commissioner of Police Vizgirdas Telichenas, 151 rioters were detained. 32 were left for two days under arrest, the rest were released after taking testimony [2] . The rally at the government building on Vincas Kudirka Square was held without excesses. On the same day, a mass rally (about three thousand participants) took place in Šiauliai [3] and a picket at the Lithuanian Embassy in Latvia [4] .
See also
- Riots in Riga (2009)
Notes
- ↑ Liudmila Davydova. In Vilnius - a protest against government policies . Runet.lt (January 16, 2009). Date of treatment January 16, 2009. Archived March 24, 2012.
- ↑ Policija išsklaidė riaušininkus, 151 chuliganas suimtas, 15 žmonių sužeista (lit.) . Delfi.lt (January 17, 2009). Date of treatment January 17, 2009. Archived August 24, 2011.
- ↑ At a rally in Šiauliai, skinheads are urged to throw stones and bricks at the windows of self-government . Lithuanian Courier (January 16, 2009). Date of treatment January 17, 2009. Archived January 18, 2009.
- ↑ The picket near the building of the Lithuanian Embassy in Riga was peaceful . Delfi.lt (January 16, 2009). Date of treatment January 17, 2009. Archived March 24, 2012.