Vilnius protest turns violent

Jan 16, 2009
Adam Mullett, VILNIUS

VILNIUS - Police were forced to resort to rubber bullets and tear gas after hooligans hijacked a peaceful protest outside of Seimas (Lithuanian parliament) today.

The protests were against the government’s crisis plan, which included substantial tax hikes.

“We are angry from the policies of the politics and the rise in prices. They should cut more expenses from the budget, not raise taxes. If there is not enough money, you have to cut expenditures – stop building, stop celebrating things and stop raising Seimas salaries,” one student told The Baltic Times.

“They have to make these decisions, but the problem is that they are hurrying a lot. The government has just changed and they have to do everything fast – they are rushing and making mistakes,” he added.

Arturas Zuokas, a member of the ruling coalition, told The Baltic Times that the government has gone too fast with its reforms.

“I think a good message for the ruling coalition is that we need to talk more with people about the situation that exists in Lithuania, and not to do some strange and too quick reforms that have been done in the last months. Its an important part of democracy,” he said.

“I can understand what they are saying and doing. Their main question is how to live and what their future will be like for them.”

The government has raised the tax burden on workers and business owners, which has put many out of work.

ERUPTION

Prior to the first wave of violence, protestors were pelting the Seimas with snowballs and rocks. After riot police arrived, the protestors turned violent and began throwing fireworks, glass and bricks.

Tear gas was fired to disperse the crowd, which then responded by throwing bricks, glass, and fireworks at the riot police.

Directly after the first tear gas attack, one student said, while crying and coughing, “I think this is shit – our parliament works bad – people are without work. There are young people without work – there isn’t any money. We have to pay for cars, but we have no money. I don’t think the police should have acted like this, because we haven’t done anything.”

The fighting escalated when hooligans began destroying construction barricades and rubbish bins. Police fired rubber bullets in response to glass shards broken from the Seimas fountain.

Police pushed the hooligans down Gedimino Avenue to Lukiskes Square where they were dispersed. However, another group of hooligans attacked the Seimas again, but were quickly dispersed.

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