Vilnius to host rival protests 50 metres apart

Two opposing protests on migration and racism will take place 50 metres apart in Vilnius on Saturday, with a third event on migration scheduled nearby, LRT reports.

The demonstrations follow September incidents in which a group of men brought a pig’s head to a mosque in Kaunas and, later, a Quran was allegedly burned in Vilnius. Both incidents prompted pre-trial investigations and intensified public debate about migration.

The right-wing National Alliance party will hold its protest at 2 p.m. in Vincas Kudirka Square, near the government. It is calling for opposition to “mass migration” and wants migrant quotas reduced and foreign nationals convicted of crimes deported. Half an hour earlier, Antifa and the Solidarity Chain organisation plan to hold an anti-racism demonstration at the same location. They say the number of migrants in Lithuania is lower than politicians claim and are concerned that political rhetoric is spreading panic and misinformation.

National Alliance leader Vytautas Sinica said about 500 people were expected at his party’s protest. He said seats on free buses from Klaipėda and Kaunas had already been filled. Sinica said participants would be urged to behave respectfully and that the party had hired private security. He also said he expected provocations from Antifa, adding that organisers would ask security staff and police to intervene if people brought pig’s heads or posters encouraging violence. LRT.lt said it had contacted the counter-protest organisers and would update its report when it received their responses.

The migration-rights organisation Sienos Group will hold a separate event, “Wake Up from Hate,” at 1 p.m. Organiser Emilija Švobaitė said it was a response to the incident outside the Kaunas mosque and the National Alliance protest. Participants plan to set up a board showing migration routes, where people can mark places they or their relatives have migrated from, and share their stories. Švobaitė said the aim was to create a calm space for conversation and to highlight that migration is part of the stories of many people and families living in Lithuania.

Police plan to deploy 235 officers, including personnel from other Lithuanian cities, with support from the Public Security Service. Police official Jevgenijus Liepis called the events an additional challenge but said officers were prepared to ensure both groups could express their views peacefully. Police are considering technical measures, though it is not yet clear whether barriers will be placed between the protests. Liepis said officers were monitoring public discussion and had not so far identified calls for provocations or breaches of public order.