BE PREPARED FOR LEGAL CONSEQUENCES

How to attract the attention of the public and press?

BE INFORMED!

Political initiative can come at a price. If you are self-employed, you can express your attitude more defiantly and boldly. If you are a state or municipal employee, such as a teacher, it is worth assessing the possible risks and the level of permissible action, thus avoiding legal consequences.

I probably wouldn't do these things now because I still have to work and think about the future. At the time, I didn't care about the future. I’ve been in jail several times. I have my own company; I don't need a CV.
Juris Bļodnieks

Vilis Gulbis is arrested during a protest at Farragut Square in Washington, D.C., 1985 Photo: Kaspars Krēsliņš

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Kaspars Krēsliņš

Youth protest in Ottawa during which they demolished a Soviet-made Lada that was painted to resemble a prison, symbolising the USSR. The debris was quickly removed to avoid trouble with the police, 1986 Photo: Andrejs Tenne-Šēns

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Andrejs Tennes-Šēns

Pastor Māris Ķirsons and Modris Mednis explain the situation to the police after a demonstration at the Soviet embassy in Washington, D.C.. On 26 May 1976, seven young Latvians burned the Soviet flag and were arrested. They were later acquitted. Photo: Juris Bīlmanis

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Laila Mednis

Imants Purvs (Toronto) and Marija Mediņš (Stockholm) chain themselves to the fence at the ESCC Conference in Helsinki, 1975 Photographer unknown

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Ģirts Zēgners

The police observed the young people's action with indifference at first, but when passers-by gathered around the two and offered them strawberries and ice cream, the police demanded an end to the demonstration, but they did not use force. Having demonstrated for the scheduled amount of time, the young people freed themselves of their shackles and disappeared into the crowd.
newspaper Latvija, 30 August 1975

Ādolfs Šilde’s letter to the then chair of the World Federation of Free Latvians Uldis Grava, explaining why he would not participate in the demonstrations at the ESCC Conference in Helsinki in 1975: “I am consistently in the spotlight of the KGB, and there is still a court ruling against me. Finland is just too dangerous for me to participate.” The letter also describes an idea for the original demonstration: “Balloons with attached texts and symbols could be released in the conference hall or in the lobby.”

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by the Grava family

LATVIANS ARRESTED IN MADRID

In order to gain the world’s attention to the illegal occupation of Latvia, a number of demonstrations were organized by Latvians during the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) in Madrid in November 1980. Most of the protests were planned and approved in a timely manner, however, one was a spontaneous initiative of Latvian youth: hanging a large-format banner “Letonia=Libre” (Freedom for Latvia) on the outside of Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The group of demonstrators broke into the stadium the previous night and the next morning hung the 19-metre-wide homemade banner on the outer wall of the stadium. After this unsanctioned action four Latvians were arrested and detained. They were released after 24 hours after they agreed to not participate in any other political demonstrations in Madrid.

However, the demonstration in Madrid caused me to no longer get a visa for a trip to Latvia. When the visa was refused, no reason was given.
Anna Muhka

Latvian youth after their arrest at the ESCC Conference in Madrid, November 1980 From left: Andrejs Neimanis, Kārlis Cerbulis, Anna Muhka, Imants Gross and Bernds Sondors Photographer unknown

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Oļģerts Pavlovskis

Banner “Letonia=Libre” (Freedom=Latvia) hung from Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid, 11 November 1980 Photo: Sarma Muižnieks

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Sarma Muižnieks-Liepiņš

A note in Spanish that reads “I don’t understand Spanish. Please contact the following person.” Anna Muhka kept this with her, fully aware of the possibility of being arrested after hanging a large banner on a stadium in Madrid 1980.

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Anna Muhka