Another protest is planned in Vilnius over proposed amendments to the law governing public broadcaster Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), with organisers unveiling a bulldozer installation outside the parliament ahead of the demonstration next week.
The installation in Independence Square features a rusted crawler bulldozer labelled “LRT amendments” against a backdrop of flames on its front, intended by organisers as a warning against the rushed passage of the legislation.
“This bulldozer is a symbol of what the Social Democrats in the Seimas are doing now, and in some ways it even reminds me of them,” said Birutė Davidonytė, chairwoman of the Association of Professional Journalists, speaking to reporters Friday. “It is somewhat outdated, yet it still starts up – sometimes you don’t even understand why – but once it starts, it moves at full force.”
She said organisers are calling a new protest for April 25 at Cathedral Square in Vilnius, arguing that earlier demonstrations have not influenced the governing majority.
“We strongly invite the public to get involved and join another protest,” she said. “We see that the tens of thousands of people gathered here under the windows of the Seimas are not enough for the ruling majority.”
Davidonytė criticised lawmakers for rejecting recommendations from the Venice Commission and accused them of attempting to push the amendments through quickly despite opposition.
“We see a stubborn desire to bulldoze this law through quite quickly,” she said.
Karolis Kaupinis, a member of the Culture Assembly initiative group, said the protest aims to stress that the issue affects all sectors of society.
“This will affect every one of us, whether we are teachers, doctors or artists,” he said. “If we do not prevent this, it will be too late to react later.”
He urged citizens to join the demonstration, even if it requires sacrificing weekend plans, warning against allowing political decisions to be dominated by what he described as “authoritarian rhetoric”.
The controversy centres on amendments to the LRT law that have already passed first reading in the Seimas. The changes would revise the broadcaster’s governance structure, including the creation of a new management board and an expansion of the LRT Council from 12 to 15 members.
The draft also introduces a formal definition of LRT’s public mission, sets new eligibility criteria for council members, limits participation of external media representatives in content creation and adjusts rules for dismissing the director-general before the end of their term.
Lawmakers in the Culture Committee are currently reviewing nearly 100 proposed amendments after failing to complete their consideration earlier this week.
The proposal has faced criticism from LRT management, journalists and academics. A protest last week drew an estimated 10,000 people, while earlier demonstrations in December over similar reforms attracted crowds of more than 10,000 each, amid concerns about press freedom and political interference.
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