Vilnius sees new protest banner in response to nationalist slogan

An updated protest banner reading “Vilnius for all” has appeared on a pedestrian overpass near Vingis Park in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.

According to LRT, the new banner was unfurled on Friday by Seimas member Simonas Gentvilas and allies as a direct response to an earlier slogan, “Lithuania for Lithuanians,” which sparked a public dispute on 11 March.

The earlier incident occurred when Vilnius University lecturer Konstantinas Andrijauskas removed a “Lithuania for Lithuanians” poster from the same overpass. Police opened a pre-trial investigation into the matter on Monday, citing a possible breach of public order.

Gentvilas told LRT that Vilnius has always been a multi-ethnic city and described the new banner as a reply to comments made on Thursday by State Language Inspector Audrius Valotka, who stated in an interview that terms such as “negras” and “čigonas” are permissible. The Seimas member also linked the banner to a proposal by fellow lawmaker Vytautas Sinica to decriminalise incitement to hatred.

Police confirmed they are investigating the removal of the original poster but have not provided further details.