Latvia, Legislation, Real Estate, Society, Strike

The protest rally began at 4 p.m. on the Esplanade, then those gathered proceeded to Town Hall in Old Town, where among the speakers was Environmental Protection Club President Arvids Ulme. He read a petition that wll be submitted to the mayor.

Ulme told the crowd that the pending sale of Lucavsala is "not just a matter of having your family garden and clean air taken away from you – it is unbridled cynicism from the powers that be."

The placards read: "City Council: Honor to Serve ... Money", "A Garden for Every Resident", "Lucavsala: Riga's Green Lungs", "Let's Protect Lucavsala", and "Usakov, Watch Out!"

The rally was just one of many held since the City Council decided to put up the 103-hectare territory for auction to the highest bidder.