At the end of the protest «against compulsory vaccination» outside the government building in Riga, some protesters exhibited provocative behaviour. One police officer was attacked. Police have commenced a criminal procedure.
At first protesters started gathering at the Freedom Monument at around 19:00 p.m. Around 20:00 p.m. protesters made their way to Riga Castle. After political addresses from organisers, the crowd made its way to the Freedom Monument again, but people did not stay there for long. Soon enough the crowd of protesters moved instead to the Cabinet of Ministers. At the government meeting Latvian State Police forces were already waiting for protesters.
As the crowd moved, road traffic crawled to a halt on the streets they passed on. Police, however, did not respond to provocations and continued observing the protest.
After Aldis Gobzems’ political speech about a potential strike, organisers of the protest announced the end of the event at 22:00 p.m. and asked the crowd to disperse. Some people left, but most people remained in small groups on Brīvības Boulevard and near Freedom Monument.
An hour before midnight there was still a large group of people remaining outside the government building. Many people were heard asking what to do next.
By midnight most people had dispersed. Police later cleared the roads of remaining protesters, letting road traffic to continue around Brīvības Street. However, several dozen people still remained around the boulevard. Some of the police officers monitoring the protest left as well.
Even before the end of the protest some protesters had exhibited aggressive and provocative behaviour. First someone broke the windshield of a State Police car parked at the government building, but even here the police did not rush to find the perpetrator. Instead officers inspected the car and drove off.
Someone else later fired a petard and a group of other people lit smoke candles. Police also noticed some people urinating on the greenery around the government building. Some people were seen drinking what seemed to be alcoholic beverages.
Police officers talked with certain perpetrators. No one was detained on the spot.
State Police used cameras and drones to film perpetrators. Authorities noticed multiple violations committed during the protest act – breach of epidemiological safety measures, alcohol intoxication in public, hooliganism, damage of public and private property, as well as assault on a police officer.
Chief of Latvian State Police Armands Ruks explains that police take care to avoid escalating the situation. Police are categorically against aggressive and provocative behaviour, stressing that it puts at risk public health and people’s lives and increases the risk of Covid-19. Provocative behaviour can also cause riots that often result in hooliganism and other criminal acts.
‘In the context of this illegal mass protest, we want to ask the people who organised it – are they prepared to take responsibility for all the consequences this protest and related activities have caused? We would like to ask people, especially parents with children, to disperse. There are many drunk and aggressive people in the crowd. We are doing what we can to ensure order,’ said the chief of State Police in his address to the crowd an hour before midnight.
State Police remind that organisation of riots carries criminal liability.
Saeima opposition deputy Aldis Gobzems was the one who urged people to show up for protests. Currently he bases his political activities mostly on topics related to Covid-19.
Activists from Ainārs Šlesers’ new political party were also seen at the event. Politicians from the political party For a Humane Latvia also voiced support of this protest act.
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