The annual march by “Lithuanian Nationalist Youth” in Kaunas on February 16, Lithuania’s pre-war independence day, decided to go with the slogan “Lithuania is ours” this year, to protest the movement of refugees into Lithuania.
Julius Panka, deputy chairman of the Lithuanian Union of Nationalist Youth, told reporters: “The slogan of this march is ‘Lithuania is ours’ because we see a complicated geopolitical situation, a complicated situation in the EU where in fact the EU is teetering on the brink of dissolution. Hordes of hungry and angry immigrants are already knocking at our gates. Therefore we simply wanted to emphasize that Lithuania is the home of our people, that little patch of land which we must respect, love and fight for.”
Speaking to the crowd later, Panka said rapists, murderers and benefits-seekers should be allowed into Lithuania. During the march marchers chanted: “If you don’t want immigrants, clap your hands” and “Lithuania for Lithuanians.”
In past years the marchers have marched down the length of Kaunas’s Freedom Alley and through the Kaunas Old Town to Town Hall Square. This year the march was abbreviated: participants hiked just to the historical Lithuanian President’s Office in whose courtyard stand statues of Lithuania’s pre-war presidents. They placed flowers at the base of Lithuanian president Antanas Smetona and sang the national anthem.
“The memory of president Smetona is very dear to us. We’ve always gone past here, so this year it will be the main focus,” Panka said.
In an earlier press release the Nationalist Youth said this year they sought to “honor the heroes who contributed to Lithuania and who are subject to constant attempts by the enemies of Lithuania to blacken their reputations.”
A small group of protestors held up a sign outside the Kaunas municipality building with the inscription “Lithuania is not the Third Reich.”
The march this year was visibly smaller than in past years, consisting of perhaps around 300 participants.
From delfi.lt and BNS reports. Full Delfi article here.