Protest planned in Vilnius against proposed changes to Lithuanian public broadcaster law

A demonstration titled “Hands off free speech. We will not surrender” will take place on Vilnius Cathedral Square on Saturday evening, organisers announced, according to a BNS report.

The protest targets proposed amendments to the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) law, which critics argue would undermine the broadcaster’s independence, politicise its governance, and threaten freedom of speech. The event is organised by a coalition of journalists from various newsrooms and the Cultural Assembly, a civic group.

In a public call to action, organisers accused lawmakers of rushing the legislative process, holding unscheduled late-night committee sessions to fast-track control over the public broadcaster. “We’ve all seen how mass protests of hundreds of thousands in Hungary brought real change. Let that inspire us too,” the statement read. Participants are encouraged to bring signs, flags, and banners.

Speakers at the rally will include journalists Birutė Davidonytė and Gintarė Masteikaitė, historians Donatas Puslys and Nerijus Šepetys, as well as cultural figures Gytis Norvilas, Laima Kreivytė, Antanas Terleckas, Karolis Kaupinis, and Kęstutis Cicėnas. Vilnius city authorities have approved the gathering for up to 30,000 attendees.

The Seimas (parliament) initially endorsed the LRT amendments, which would alter the broadcaster’s governance structure. The Cultural Committee must now review all submitted proposals before the bill returns to the full chamber for debate. Committee meetings on the issue have extended late into the night since April 13.

Earlier protests against the amendments, including a 10,000-strong rally outside parliament in early April, featured a symbolic rusted bulldozer with the slogan “LRT amendments” emblazoned in flames. Organisers have framed the legislation as an attempt to “seize control of a public broadcaster that belongs to all of society.”