Thousands of people gathered Tuesday in Independence Square in central Vilnius to protest against Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, voicing concerns over his current and former business dealings and the actions of the ruling coalition.
According to police on the scene, the rally drew several thousand demonstrators. It was organised by the Democracy Forum, student Robertas Koroliovas, and activist Mantas Meškerys, who previously led an anti-government protest last autumn.
“The prime minister had many chances to prove his innocence, take responsibility, and show leadership. But he failed,” Koroliovas told reporters. “The fact that he didn’t show up today says more about him than it does about us.”
Neither Paluckas nor other coalition members attended the protest.
“Folk wisdom says: ignore the people, and they’ll just shout louder,” Koroliovas added.
Protesters carried signs with slogans such as “No to a shadowy PM”, “We are not penguins”, and “Paluckas, don’t be like Trump”.
Participants included citizens from a wide range of backgrounds. “I came because members of parliament are accountable to voters. Right now, they show nothing but nihilism,” said Nerijus, a 45-year-old vocal coach.
“I’m glad young people are organising this,” said 65-year-old retiree Virginija. “There’s so much injustice in Lithuania – I’m tired of it.”
Brigita, a 42-year-old teacher, said she felt a civic duty to join. “If we do nothing, nothing will change. We can’t let politicians lie and avoid responsibility anymore.”
A stage was set up outside the Martynas Mažvydas National Library, where several public figures addressed the crowd, including commentator Marius Laurinavičius, filmmaker Karolis Kaupinis, and investigative journalist Šarūnas Černiauskas.
“A state doesn’t collapse suddenly – it crumbles bit by bit, then all at once,” Kaupinis said. “We are just as responsible as any outside force.”
The protest followed investigations by Laisvės TV and the investigative journalism centre Siena into the prime minister’s business connections. As Černiauskas, one of the authors of the report, took the stage, the crowd chanted “thank you”.
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“We’re talking about unknown friends and unknown money,” Černiauskas said. “Ask questions if you see the prime minister in the street. The answers matter.”
After the rally, demonstrators marched to the Government building on Kudirkos Square, chanting slogans like “Paluckas out”, “Coward”, and “Shame”. The event ended with the singing of the national anthem.
The municipality had authorised the protest for up to 4,000 participants. Organisers demanded clear, documented answers from Paluckas, an end to the coalition with the Nemunas Dawn party, and full accountability in ongoing political scandals.
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