RIGA – In spite of the increased police presence in the Old Town, this weekend went without any incidents. Ricības Partija, or the Action Party, the former euro-skeptics, planned to stage a demo outside the presidential Castle, but their request for the demo was denied by the city government, citing security concerns. Sounding like something off pages of a comic book, the Action Party apparently resembles mostly pensioners, if one were to judge the membership from the prelude to the January 13 riots and demonstration. The Action Party started its protest much earlier that day near the 1905 revolution monument on the Embankment, then proceeded to the Cabinet of ministers and ended up at the demonstration on the Dome Square.
Either way, it was eerily peaceful in the Old Town this weekend.
The bad news is a news item by Leta:
RIGA, Jan 18 (LETA) – Having been tipped off by a person who overheard a conversation in a trolley-bus, Security Police have uncovered a group of persons planning more violence in Riga, as “LETA Video/TV 21″ was told by Interior Minister Mareks Seglins.
“I must express thanks to the person, who informed the police abut the conversation he overheard. The group had discussed where they would meet in order to organize more rioting. In checking out this place – what one could call a headquarters, a meeting on further action was being held,” Seglins informed. He underlined that the group has not been detained, but that the police “thwarted more possible disturbances.”
He did not mention how many exactly were involved or what they were planning.
“No details from me, I can’t tell you. This borders on a state secret, i.e. this criminal case’s fact are a state secret. I, as a politician, have no right to say anything,” he stated.
The little piece of news raises some question.
First of all, should one be careful what one says in a trolleybus for fear to be reported to the security police? Can one say, “the government has to be taken down?” Or does it constitute some kind of planning of an unconstitutional coup?
Second of all, surprisingly, no one has been arrest in the whole ordeal. Why not? If the tip was as good as Segliņš suggests, shouldn’t it follow by some arrest? I’d rather hear the minister of the interior say they’ve arrested a group of provocateurs who sought to undermine the constitutional order of the Republic of Latvia. But he didn’t. He said no one was arrested at the alleged headquarters, but future attacked were thwarted.
Hey Aleks – I had similar feelings to this report, although Im taking it further and am highly suspicious, sounds like a lame PR stunt to me – no info, no arrests, nothing concrete, just an overheard conversation! Oh and it comes a week after last weeks security debacle.
http://latvia-wtf.blogspot.com/2009/01/overheard-on-trolley-bus.html
It would be a laugh if it weren’t a cry. I’d bet the alleged headquarter was some schoolboys’ home with some guys hanging around in some common sort of juvenile “down with establishment – let’s start a revolution”-pose – and that’s it. Only because some mediocre politicians and oh so powerful security police men want to be seen as important heroes (or at least justify the expenses) they fancy such a conspirative story… When are the leaders of Latvia going to leave the sandbox? Kindergarten would already be a progress compared to what can be observed there now.