Russian-speaking residents in Riga call on Putin "not to protect" them after Russian State Duma statement
Several dozens of Russian-speaking residents of Latvia on 29 April held a rally near the Russian embassy in Riga calling on Russia "not to protect" them.
Source: Latvian news websites Delfi and LRT, reports European Pravda
Details: The rally was organised by the Russian Voice for Latvia union. The impetus for the meeting was the statement of the State Duma of the Russian Federation "on the inadmissibility of the repressive policy of the leadership of the Baltic states towards the Russian-speaking population".
People gathered near the Russian embassy in Riga around 14:00 with slogans against Moscow's interference in Latvia's internal affairs and the use of the country's Russian-speaking residents in the interests of Russia.
The participants of the action unfurled the poster "Grandfather, take pills", people also brought the flags of the EU and Ukraine and hand-made posters with the slogans "We need Europe, not the Russian peace", "Latvia is the motherland, Russia is the occupier", "Don't poke your nose into Latvia", "Get your hands off our country".
Martin Levushkan, Head of the organisation, explained that they want to convey the position of those Russian-speaking Latvians who oppose Moscow's policy towards the Baltic states and are outraged that the Russian Federation uses them for its political purposes and division in society. "We don't need to be protected, protect yourself in The Hague. Our homeland is Latvia," he concluded.
One provocateur approached the participants, but overall the rally passed without incident.
Background: The Saeima of Latvia granted Russians additional time for the language exam, which is a condition for a residence permit.
Meanwhile, surveys have shown that for the first time in the history of observations, Latvian Russian-speakers consider the country's foreign policy orientation to the West more desirable than to the East.
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