Lithuania’s cultural community and its supporters say they are launching a month-long protest under the banner “We Are Culture”, demanding the removal of the Nemunas Dawn party from the Culture Ministry, organisers announced Tuesday.
The protest is set to conclude on November 21 in Vilnius with a demonstration involving tractors, combining representatives from the agricultural sector with Lithuanian jazz and modern music groups in a joint performance.
“The disrespect shown to the professional and civic community compels us to demand a higher level of political culture, with people taking responsibility for their words and actions,” the organisers said in a statement. “The cultural community is not the only sector facing these symptoms of the political situation today, so everyone is invited to join the month of protest. Because we are all culture. We are all our state.”
The protests will begin on Wednesday with a gathering in Kaunas and are planned to continue across the country. Organisers said last week’s cross-sectoral assembly highlighted a broader pattern of “manipulation and superficial dialogue” across health, education, sports, agriculture, and environmental sectors.
The movement is supported by 160 organisations in Lithuania and abroad, according to the organisers.
The current unrest traces back to the ruling bloc’s agreement to hand over the Culture Ministry to Nemunas Dawn, and the subsequent appointment of Ignotas Adomavičius as culture minister, despite his lack of experience in the field. Adomavičius resigned after just one week in office.
In response, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party said it was taking over responsibility for the ministry. Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said she would personally find a new minister. Currently, Education Minister Raminta Popovienė is temporarily serving as culture minister.
Cultural figures have said Nemunas Dawn’s leadership threatens freedom of speech, the fight against disinformation, and other democratic values, driving continued protests and public pressure on the government.
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