Eggs Revolution in Riga, January 13th 2008

Bad economics in Latvia results now in completely losing the focus on the regular people lives. Until last year, it was one of the fastest growing economies in Europe. Now it is expected to contract by at least 5% this year. Many Latvians frustrated by rising unemployment and tax hikes blame the centre-right governing coalition of Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis for their country's economic woes.

On January 13th 2008, Latvia's capital experienced the first notable social action in the renovated Latvian history. Anti-government rioting has been organized by oppositional parties, and it has been joined by about 10,000 of people on Dome's circus (Doma laukums). The protest was Latvia's largest since it became independent in 1991. People were very excited by what has been told by riot's initiators from the stage. It all resulted in hundreds of demonstrators have clashed with riot police in Latvia's capital, Riga, after an anti-government protest.

As the crowd swelled, dozens of protesters tried to storm the parliament building, and hundreds of demonstrators then hurled rocks and chunks of ice at government buildings. The rioters were dispersed by riot police using mace and truncheons, pepper gas and rubber-bullets guns, but they gathered again in a neighbouring street in Riga's historic business district. There, they overturned a police van, smashed windows and looted shops.

Unfortunately that form of protest just showed a very low level education and culture of upcoming Latvians (mostly attackers consisted of people aged 20-24 or even younger). They have broken not only government's building's windows, but crashed the beverage shop of "Latvijas Balzams", the most famous Latvian alcohol production factory, as well as hit buildings of the "Parex Bank" which has been "purchased" by government recently, saving it from bankruptcy, as well as many other business buildings like "Ober Haus" real estate.

Why did they do that, if it was just the form of protest against government? Because they were completely drunk, and didn't give a shit. It was the real form of disgrace and shame, not the protest.

Below are attached some pictures of that action, taken from our local webzines Delfi and TvNET, as well some others.

Some of Latvian girls were caught in striking, too! Despite of that I must tell they were not those famous Riga mundane girls I think some of them were completely drunk as well.

In the crowd there is visible a face of Ainars Repshe, the first president of the Bank of Latvia. He invented so called "strong Lat's" currency - by now, the national Latvian currency, Lat, is tied up with Euro with no changes to the worldwide currencies balance and country's economics. Whatever happens in country, Lat doesn't change its value and is not de-nominated. That caused a lot of economical problems in the very beginning; by now Repshe's killing politics affected the total decrease in national facilities.

On the pictures below, some guy is showing his t-shirt where it appears the face of the current Prime Minister named Ivars Godmanis. In English it's a combination of two words - "God" and "Man". With such surname Latvians should expect some miracles, but they were not.

When the famous "Queen" band has visited Latvia past year, Godmanis went up on the stage and played some song with the band a drummer. Past year he was also in car crash, but unluckily survived.

Now Godmanis course seemed unacceptable for the people. Latvia owes now more than 7 milliards Euros in loan. Nobody knows where this money will be used.

On one of posters there appearing name of the current Latvian president, Valdis Zatlers, surgeon by profession. When he was elected, most of people hoped he will "surge" Latvia from crisis, but that didn't happen. The President in Latvia is not allowed to have an executing right, however he has right to start cancelling the government.

In the pictures below, there are visible writings like "NOTHING SPECIAL" - they already became a folk tale. It is related to the famous interview the local Economics Minister Atis Slakteris gave recently to Bloomberg TV. He was actually asked:

- How did we get to this point in Latvia? What happened?

And then he answered:

- Nothing special.

Here is the video for those who don't believe Latvian ministers are so poorly educated that they can't even speak the human English.



Note where he's daughter is living currently...

This interview was never planned for Latvians, because Slakteris spoke only his bad English. When audience first heard that around 7 billiards Euros which are now loaned for few generations, will be almost used for the banks ("There is nothing special with economics because there are no economics at all"), it produced a big public response.

Rioting Riga: the beginning... continuing to the Saeima's (Latvian Parliament) attacks.

Rioting Riga: what happened next... pay attention at those guys stealing alcohol from the broken Latvijas Balzams shop

Rioting Riga: what happened next...

Rioting Riga: what happened next...

Rioting Riga: what happened next...

Rioting Riga: what happened next...

Rioting Riga: what happened next...

Rioting Riga: what happened next...

Here is some little video from what's actually happened.

Enjoy the sound One of the voices tells: "Girls, get out of here".

I wonder who did these pictures, was it one person? Surviving with a camera there must have been a miracle.. :|