Gather like-minded people

REMEMBER, ONE CANNOT FIGHT ALONE!

The more people that protest, the more effective and noticeable the demonstration. Use every form of communication possible to gather as many protestors as possible! Organising a demonstration is easier if a group of like-minded people meet regularly to discuss current issues.

We had our network. It started with our choir. We organised a telephone tree – you call so-and-so, you call so-and-so.
Valda Liepiņš

‘Vigil of Conscience’ at the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, 30 July 1975 Photo: Andrejs Tenne-Šēns

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

Rolodex catalogue of Latvian exile addresses created by the American Latvian Association in the 1980s – a database in the pre-internet era. It was key to the successful organisation of events and contacting potential demonstrators as it contained contacts for the Latvian exile community, the US government, the international press, and Baltic activists.

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by the American Latvian Association

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by the American Latvian Association

Exiled Latvians gathering before a demonstration during the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) in Madrid on 11 November 1980. Photographer unknown.

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Marta and Vilis Vītols.

Demonstration participants in Berlin, 10 August 1987 From left: ?, Raimonds Slaidiņš, Ingrīda Balodis, Anita Millers, Tamāra Millers (in front), Astrīda Ramanis (in back), Marisa Ramanis, Vita Slaidiņš (in front), Silvija Vintere (in back), Anita Carlisle, Intra Krūmiņa, Kaija Gertners (with sunglasses), Vanda Dauksts (holding flag), Pēteris Albertiņš, Viktors Upeslācis, Arvīds Bolšteins. Photo: Vilma Bolšteins

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Daina Bolšteins

Uldis Grava initiated the “Latvian Luncheon” club in New York that met from 1967 until 1970. Several times a year, Latvians who worked in the city would meet. This was one way Latvians could get together and exchange views. During lunch, there would also be a formal talk, including political analyses. This helped Latvians make and maintain contacts that they could use when organising political protests.

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

TRAINS TO DUDERSTADT AND BERLIN

Banner for the train “Special train in honour of Berlin’s 750 anniversary” 1987

On loan from the Pavlovskis family

Latvians hired this train as a special run from Münster to Berlin so that participants of the Latvian Song Festival in Münster could take part in a demonstration at the Berlin Wall in 1987. It was a special Latvian train, but the banner kept with the German desire to avoid confrontation. We were riding through the Eastern Zone. A little tricky. East German officials could have stopped the train at any time and prevented it from passing through to Berlin as well as cause other problems. Another supposed objection was that young people had thrown our "proclamations" out the window.
Astra Pavlovskis

Hamilton folk dance group Vainadziņš members on the train “Wallbanger” in Duderstadt, 5 August 1984 Photographer unknown

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Baiba Bredovskis

On the trip to the East German border town of Duderstadt, the hired train “Wallbanger”” was full of Latvians, 1984

Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre collection, banner on loan from the Pavlovskis family

Demonstration on the border of West and East Germany at Duderstadt, 5 August 1984. Photo: Baiba Šmita-Kalēja.

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Baiba Bredovskis.