Prime minister urges restraint after bikers disrupt Kaunas mosque prayers

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has urged all sides to avoid escalating a conflict after bikers disrupted Muslim prayers at a mosque in Kaunas on Friday, LRT reported.

“The prime minister calls on all sides to refrain from escalating the conflict, respecting the Muslim community’s right to perform religious rites without disruption and responding to the concerns and interests expressed by city residents in the interests of peaceful coexistence,” Sinkevičius’ representative, Gedas Salyga, told ELTA.

Sinkevičius said the police and Kaunas City Municipality should determine whether additional security measures were needed.

A group of bikers disrupted Muslim prayers at and outside the Kaunas mosque by chanting slogans, making noise and playing rock music loudly. They also brought a pig’s head. The bikers did not explain what specific message they wanted to convey.

Police opened administrative proceedings over possible violations related to gatherings and other events, as well as to clarify the circumstances. Police said the bikers did not have a permit issued by the municipality to gather outside the mosque.

Kaunas County Police later announced that they had opened a pretrial investigation into the incident.

Mufti Aleksandras Beganskas told LRT radio that the action was directly aimed at Muslims. He also asked government officials to ensure the safety of the Muslim community.