Originally posted on Latvians Online
Today’s protest disappointed me as I stood in the snow and high winds listening to what appeared to be a choral concert with a frequent interlude for public speaking – I wouldn’t call them passionate oratories – about matters of the state.
My disappointment stems from the apparent lack of fervor, passion, and conviction among those 7,000 or 9,000 who braved the first snow and came out to the Dome Square in the Old Riga.
They say it’s the weather’s fault.
How it would have been appropriate to use the first snow as a metaphor for the dying of the old way and preparing for the new. But it didn’t seem to fit.
It didn’t fit because the air filled with snowflakes was empty of revolutionary spirit and the chilling wind was not the wind of change I had hoped for.
It was a polite, “Mm, remember us? We’re the people,” composed together with the already-notorious Latvian pessimism.
Even with the Loskutovs case set aside on the government’s back burner for a while, people in the crowd and the speakers on the stage seemed to have forgotten the success the October 18th protest has already brought.
And who’s kidding? We all have something to complain about.
Aside stood, what local Russians call “tautas meitas,” a traditional row of female elderly citizens who protest against – well, anything really. Farther down the road, some guy demanded the EU stop telling us what rate we exchange our lats to their euros. I mean, if our economy should crumble, we’d rather do it ourselves. Lettish nationalists come out to play in the snow as well – they demanded, among other things, protecting this country from new immigration. In the back, a group of local Russians gathered to protest against the denationalised apartments from which they might be kicked out. Of course, the call everyone remembers—“Dissolve the parliament…”
What polite little revolutionaries we are, a poet once said. Did it send a strong signal to the Kalvitis government that it needs to go? Not any more so than the president’s words on Friday when he said the government without four ministers cannot work. Was it the beginning of change in the political culture? Too soon to tell, I think. For now, though, there is no viable alternatives to the current four-party coalition.
I’ve read the resolution adopted at the tautas sapulce. It is filled with great slogans I could get behind about justice, rule of law, democracy in Latvia. I just am not sure what practical consequences this resolution would have. New government with old faces? Another election?
Maybe that’s how revolutions are done nowadays.
Photo from the people’s gathering this morning on the Dome Square in Old Riga taken from apollo.lv
Update: Juris Kaza posted a video from Saturday’s Subdued Revolution.
Yes, I am sure that the singing of ‘Put vejini’ got Kalvitis shaking in his boots. I watched it on TV – not being a Latvian citizen I felt it not my place to be there. Is this what Latvians call a protest! As Alex said more like a choral concert – a second rate one at that! Never mind ‘God bless Latvia’ more like ‘God help Latvia!’
The singing of “put, vejini” did have an immense symbolism though. And perhaps even names of those speakers who participated also was symbolic and somewhat reminiscent of the Awakening of the 1990s. But still, the public gathering lacked passion of conviction.
is that what latvians call a protest?
dunno, what are you looking for? blood on the streets? or what? more Shtab like statements comparing the school reform to Beslan a la Kazakov, or threatening blood on the streets a la Petropavlovsky.
Sorry but I’ll take subdued, in aleks’ opinion anyway, over statements comparing a school reform to the murder of children or threatening violence.
Does any criticism, especially the one that is justified, have to be compared to “those Russians”? If you don’t like the Latvian way, well, the only alternative is for you to enjoy the way Russians do it, is that how it is?
Not a fan of Shtab, or any of the activities you mentioned. Nor do I think these are the only two alternatives – choral signing vs. a call to arms.
There was the Oct. 18 meet, for example, which had a significantly different atmosphere than the Subdued Revolution. There was a protest ahead of the presidential elections, which, also had a completely different atmosphere than the Saturday’s event.
So thinking in a) ethnic terms (there were Russians there on Saturday too you know); b) absolute terms (you’re either with us or with the terrorists, or rather Russians’ opposing the school reform) doesn’t seem appropriate.
aleks, did you read what I wrote? I was clearly responding to exactly what you’re talking about, an ethnic characterization of a rally, this time as Latvian.
you didnt seem to have a problem with that interpretation until I said something, and now you’ve brought up terrorists, and mentioned that your criticism is justified.
thanks
m-
Okay, if I misunderstood you, mikelis, I apologize. I didn’t describe the sapulce in strictly ethnic terms. In fact, quite the opposite.
“is that what latvians call a protest?
dunno, what are you looking for? blood on the streets? or what? more Shtab like statements comparing the school reform to Beslan a la Kazakov, or threatening blood on the streets a la Petropavlovsky.
Sorry but I’ll take subdued, in aleks’ opinion anyway, over statements comparing a school reform to the murder of children or threatening violence.”
Obviously the writer of this does cannot read English – or he would not have responded to my comments the way he did.Reading into something that is not there is a very dangerous thing – something of which so many people who live in Latvia are guilty. Once again I close my comments with “God help Latvia”
‘‘Obviously the writer of this does cannot read English ‘’
obviously the writer of this does not know English grammar. ‘‘Does cannot’‘makes no sense.
Max, your comment is painfully pathetic, please learn how to form an argument. You claim that I’m ‘‘reading into something’‘, an act which you say is ‘‘dangerous,’‘ and then accuse ‘‘many people’‘who live in Latvia of doing the same.
What exactly are you talking about? and who are these ‘‘many people’‘?