After Latvian authorities removed flowers left by people at the May 9 Victory Monument with a tractor, people turned out again in force to sing songs and lay even more flowers and candles.
Residents of Riga that celebrate May 9 traditionally lay flowers at the monument to the Liberators of Riga in Victory Park. However, it was impossible to do this personally on May 9: those who wished could put them on the tables, from where the employees of city services would pick them up and take them to the monument themselves. According to police, on May 9, about 20,000 people visited Victory Park.
Early in the morning of the next day, municipal services of Riga have already removed the flowers laid on May 9 at the monument with a bulldozer. The footage of equipment working at the monument spread around social networks and caused a wave of discontent.
As a result, people began to bring new flowers to the monument during the day. Judging by the photographs, by the evening a noticeable part of the area in front of the monument was filled with flowers.
It’s reported some local volunteers have promised to be on watch round-the-clock to make sure the authorities don’t move in again.
The company that was engaged in removing the flowers in the early morning said that “there were frosts at night” and “the flowers withered.” However, the city authorities said that the flowers laid on May 10 will not be removed in the near future.
Forsided, 11.05.2022