Budget, Culture, Financial Services, Latvia, Taxation

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 09:26

Latvia: Finance minister criticized by protestors while on his way to Saeima today

BC, Riga , 14.10.2020.Print version
While on hos way to submit to 2021 budget project to Saeima this morning, Finance Minister Janis Reirs (New Unity) was criticized by some persons who had arrived to protest against planned tax changes that would affect royalty recipients, notes LETA.

Before arriving at parliament, Reirs went to Dome Square, where the protesters had gathered. After a short conversation with the media and some cultural workers, the minister went to the Saeima with the budget portfolio.


While walking with some representatives from the Finance Ministry, some of the protestors yelled to the minister: ''leave culture alone'', ''cultural has already been raped'', ''go to such up to America - leave Latvia alone, traitor'', and ''Reirs, I had a better opinion of you''.


At the same time, they told the minister that cultural workers are ''already working for pennies''.

Police were on hand at the parliament to maintain order, but their involvement was not necessary.

As reported, a few hundred people gathered by the Saeima building and later in Dome Square on Wednesday morning to protest against planned tax changes that would affect royalty recipients, LETA observed.


Participants of the protest had arrived with bricks and were building a wall symbolizing politicians' inability and unwillingness to understand the needs of people working in creative professions. The symbolic brick "Wall of Misunderstanding" was built on a 30-meters stretch. The protesters also sang various songs.






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