In what became the largest outpouring of violence since Latvia regained independence in the early '90s, thousands of protesters clashed with police and attempted to storm the parliament building following a Jan. 13 protest calling for the dissolution of the Cabinet and the legislature.
Rioters tore up the streets, smashed windows and attacked riot police. Thousands of euros in damages were caused and numerous people, including police officers, were hospitalized.
In short, the events of Jan. 13 were a disgrace.
Latvia is in dire need of change. The ruling coalition has proven time and time again that it does not have the best interests of the people at heart. Despite giving itself numerous chances to turn things around, the ruling coalition has consistently botched things up with corrupt and incompetent policies. Not that the opposition parties have shown they would do any better if given the chance.
This is what the protest was supposed to be all about. Some 10,000 people took to the streets in an extension of the movement that led to the collapse of the previous Aigars Kalvitis-led government. People now came to express their discontent with the new government 's which is largely composed of the same people that were in the old one 's and its seeming inability to do anything right. The people called for new leaders; the people called for change.
But that worthy message has been overshadowed by the events that followed.
Once protesters turned to violence, their original message became lost among tales of destroyed police cars and looting. Worse than that, the violence became counter-productive to the message 's it gave the ruling coalition an excuse not to step down, and allowed the country's leaders to take the offensive and attack the organizers of the protest.
The day after the riots, Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis said that the government would not step down over the affair, nor would he sack the interior minister for allowing the events to spin out of control.
Instead, the prime minister was able to call on opposition party leaders to leave politics. In retrospect, the violent acts that followed the protest seem to have been very beneficial to the ruling coalition, as the main opposition parties behind the protest will now have to defend themselves instead of continue their push for new leadership.
The country needs change, but violence is certainly not the answer.
Not that the majority of people who took part in the chaos care about such things. Most of the rioters were young and drunk, and many could be seen using drugs. They looted liquor stores and seemed to be taking part in the riots more for the sake of rampant destruction than because they were upset over any political issues.
Only time will tell who will ultimately be held responsible for the unrest, and how the country's new political map will look following the tragic events of Jan. 13.
