USE YOUR IMAGINATION

How best to attract the attention of the public and the press?

THINK UP A WELL-PLANNED, UNIQUE EVENT!

Noise, numbers, bright clothes, and marching may not be enough. You must be original and creative – you need to surprise people with something interesting!

STREET THEATRE

A popular method of protest, which attracted the attention of passers-by and was enjoyed by the demonstrators themselves, was street theatre. Through various political theatre sketches, protesters highlighted the illegal occupation of the Baltic states – the trial of political prisoners, human rights violations, deportations, and repressions in the Soviet Union – in city streets, squares, and parks.

These protests had to be organised wisely – we could not just organise something and hope that someone on the street would see it. It was before the Internet when you had to call the press and tell them, "There's going to be a demonstration!"
You had to tell them that it would be interesting. You couldn’t just say: ‘Oh, yes! A couple of crazy Latvians there will start shouting, carry posters, and sing ‘God bless Latvia!’” So, you had to stand out with something every time.
Ēriks Šulcs

“Hanged dissidents” in Farragut Square during the 33rd American Latvian Youth Congress in Washington, D.C., 29 November 1985 From left: Raimonds Pavlovskis, Tija Kārklis and Viktors Felkers. On the right: Pēteris Vīksniņš (Soviet guard), Pēteris Elferts reads the verdict. Photographer unknown

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Pēteris Elferts

Soviet “tank” at the ESCC Conference in Vienna, November 1986 Photo: Linda Freimanis

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Linda Freimanis

Performance in support of Soviet dissidents in New York City, 1973 Photographer unknown

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by BATUN

Latvians in Münster, Germany express their opposition to the deployment of SS20 missiles, 1970s Photographer unknown

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Anna Muhka

Demonstrations have to be concise – you suddenly see something and ask: “Why are you doing this?”
Māris Ķirsons

SMALL-SCALE PROTESTS

You can also protest in small, individual ways by using your imagination, e.g., distort letters and change words on outdoor billboards or buy shares giving you voting rights in a company. Actively and visibly participate in various events, even small ones.

Latvian youths chained to the Soviet embassy in Washington, D.C., 18 November 1985 From left: Arnolds Kārklis, Ivars Slokenbergs, Raimonds Baumanis, Alberts Vītols, Haralds Ozols, Juris Bļodnieks Photographer unknown

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Ivars Slokenbergs

Instructions prepared by students at Münster Latvian Gymnasium on how to organise chain protests at the gates of Soviet embassy in several European cities, 1985.

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Ēriks Šulcs

Editing of a roadside advertisement “Soviet Union – Art & Crafts” to “Soviet Union – Prison of Nations”, August 1972 Photographer unknown

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Olita un Vilis Treimanis

A bear and handcuffed young women in folk dress – the USSR and the occupied nations – was used during Soviet leader Alexei Kosygin’s visit to Canada at the Ontario Science Centre, 25 October 1971 Photographer unknown

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Baiba Bredovskis

There were many young women in folk dress, maybe ten or twelve. In the middle was a bear with chains. The bear held the chains and led us through the crowd. Verners Cinis played the bear. He was a dedicated anti-communist.
Baiba Bredovskis

Staņislavs Duļevskis thought up the idea to change the billboard. He got paper that you could peel the back off of, so it is easy to stick on. Then he figured out which letters needed to be changed. Then we drove up in the dark, set up the ladder, climbed up, and quickly stuck on the letters. That advertisement remained up for a long time.
Olita un Vilis Treimanis

“CONCRETE” PROTEST IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Concrete protest process, 18 November 1987. Photo: Andris Rūtiņš

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Andris Rūtiņš

The demonstration went insanely well. The security guards did not know what to do. Really! They called the fire department, closed the road. That immediately attracted attention; the press came. It took about 45 minutes to chisel them out. That was very good!
Juris Bļodnieks

We came up with the idea to encase people in concrete blocks and deliver the blocks to the Soviet embassy. The idea was born, and then logistics began - how to do it. There was quite a bit of learning on how to do it without breaking bones.
Vita Tērauds

There was a “concreting party” in the Tērauds family’s garage. The team mixed the concrete, and the boys sat patiently in their plastic boots all night until the concrete dried. I remember they also had bottles of beer; I wonder how they handled that.
Ivars Slokenbergs

Valdis Rozentāls being lifted into a moving truck in Washington on 18 November 1987. Photo: Ilga Šķiņķe.

Donated to Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre by Ilga Bērzkalns.

The plan was that in the morning, we would place them on the truck in their concrete boots with a hydraulic lift, then take them around the corner from the Soviet embassy and lift them down into the street. The boys in the concrete were covered with blankets. To get them to the embassy, we parked the truck around the corner and lowered them down. Two of us pushed each cart with the large concrete blocks along the sidewalk to the embassy.
Ivars Slokenbergs

We were in a cell in the police station only for a few hours when we were arrested. We got very hungry while we waited, and then we were offered pizza for lunch. Then we simply went home! It was a cool event!
Dāvis Kaņeps