Message of 1991 barricades takes on new meaning at a time when Ukrainians are fighting for their country - EP president

RIGA - The message of the January 1991 barricades in Riga takes on new meaning at a time when Russia continues its brutal war in Ukraine and the Ukrainian people are fighting for their country, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, said at the unveiling of the photo exhibition Fourteen Days and Nights of the Barricades at the EU Parliament.

As Elina Bivina, an aide to Latvian MEP Sandra Kalniete (New Unity), told LETA, Metsola noted that the barricades in Riga were the high point of the struggle for Latvia's freedom, and Europe supported the Baltic states' right to independence. The events that unfolded 35 years ago also teach that democracy is not a matter of chance, Metsola stressed, adding that this is especially true today.

Kalniete also underlined the importance of the 1991 barricades and said that the exhibition tells the story of a heroic chapter in the Latvian people's struggle for the country's renewed independence.

Kalniete organized the photography exhibition Fourteen Days and Nights of the Barricades in collaboration with the Museum of the 1991 Barricades, dedicating it to the 35th anniversary of the barricades.

On January 13, 1991, around half a million people joined the barricades in Riga to protect the parliament, broadcasting infrastructure, and other key democratic institutions. Tragically, seven civilians were killed during attacks by Soviet OMON forces in the days that followed.