Solidarity campaign Baltic Way to Freedom for Belarus has ended
26.08.2020

On August 23, the Baltic Way to Freedom for Belarus campaign organised by the Civic Alliance - Latvia, #viegli palīdzēt (#easy to help) volunteer movement and Protest youth organisation ended. The campaign was a series of events that began on 22 August with a 70 km long solidarity march "Freedom for Belarus", which was a symbolic event in support of the Belarusian people in their struggle for freedom and democracy - from the Eastern Tree (the monument - dedication to the farthest border point in the East of Latvia) to Piedruja, on the border with Belarus. The event started already on August 22 at 19.00 and ended on August 23 at 12.00 in Piedruja, where the flag of the Belarusian opposition was hoisted on the bank of Daugava and songs of power were sung in support of the people of neighbouring country.

In turn, on August 23, the Baltic Way to Freedom for Belarus solidarity campaign took place in Riga in an uplifting atmosphere - a chain of people from the Freedom Monument to the People's Front Museum, which was attended by about 400 people. People in white clothes, with flags and support posters in their hands had come to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Baltic Way and to show solidarity with the people of Belarus. After the joint singing the Latvian national anthem, the event was opened by Romualds Ražuks, the second chairman of the People's Front. The speech was followed by the handing over of the white-red-white flag through a chain of Latvian and Belarusian people, with special emphasis on the unity of Latvia and Belarus. The flag way ended at the People's Front Museum, where participants concluded the event with the anthems of Belarus and Latvia, and singing Latvian songs.

The participation of state officials in the event was especially inspiring - in agreement with the people, President Egils Levits, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the People's Front and Member of the European Parliament Sandra Kalniete and other significant persons also took part in the campaign.

After the move in Riga and people's chains elsewhere in Latvia, many went on to Vilnius, where 50,000 people from all the Baltic States, standing in a chain of solidarity to the Belarusian border, jointly confirmed their support for Belarus's struggle for democracy.

This campaign proved that civic active members of society live in Latvia and throughout the Baltics and it is indescribably gratifying! #FreedomWay