Mass Protests by Russians Against Riga’s New Anti-Russian Measures - Schools Forced to "Latvianize" Curriculum
Defenders of Russian schools marched along Riga's central streets today. Hundreds of parents and teachers took part in the mass May Day march in protest against compulsory Latvian language classes in K-12 education.
Daria Grigorova's report from Riga will tell us more.
"The people are demanding Russian schools".
This demonstrator-filled street has been called by many names in many languages: Alexandrovskaya, in honor of Alexander I, Revolutionary Street, Lenin Street, and even Hitler Street during the German occupation. Today, it's Privivas (Freedom) Street. And these people today went out here to defend the freedom of studying in their native language. According to the organizer's estimates, there are 10,000 people here. Riga hasn't seen such a mass protest since 2004, that was the last time they tried to change Russian schools to Latvian. But according to the last census, in a country of 2 million, almost 40% of inhabitants call Russian their native language.
Alan Romanov, Pupil: "Maybe our children will go to school here, and we want them to learn in a language we speak at home."
- We want to study in Russian.
- But you still have a Latvian flag?
- Yes.
But the official mother tongue of all these Latvians is as foreign as Urdu or Swahili. According to the new law, in minority schools, only literature and subjects related to culture and history will be taught in Russian, and it's not an accident.
Tatiana Jdanok, Latvian Russian Union: "For minorities, especially for these Russian schools in Latvia, which have traditionally existed for centuries, these schools operate, and provide education up to the highest levels, in the native tongue".
No matter how just the listed acts of international law are, they are only advisory in nature. Only Brussels or a Latvian Constitutional Court can force the Latvian authorities to change legislation. And different political forces have already announced turning to them.
"There's only a million people that speak Latvian alone. So let's make it all in English then. The textbooks are so bad that you want to cry. From first grade, they got rid of anything that even hints at being Russian".
The initiator of the policy reforms is from the center-right Unity electoral alliance, Karlis Shadurskis. His party is at risk of not being able to gather enough popular support during this October's elections.
Artur Efimov, Teacher: "It's the Latvian political parties that are concerned with their pre-election campaign, it's them who always introduce these laws before the elections".
The gradual implementation of the school reform will begin on September 1st of next year, so the protesters are sure there's still time to fight for their rights.
Daria Grigorova and Anton Chigaev. From Riga — Vesti.