Last Sunday, on the historical 23rd of August, Lithuanians formed a human chain from Vilnius Cathedral to the Belarus border to show support for protesters fighting for freedom in the neighbouring country. For the last few months, demonstrations have been occurring in Belarus against president’s Lukashenko’s political policies with many people imprisoned, injured and killed by the police.
According to the “Freedom Way” organisers, from Vilnius Cathedral Square through the city streets and along the Minsk highway, more than 50,000 people joined hands in a 32-kilometre chain. Lithuanian politicians were also a part of the peaceful protest: President Gitanas Nausėda, former presidents Dalia Grybauskaitė, Valdas Adamkus, Chairman of the Supreme Council Vytautas Landsbergis.
The Freedom chain marks the 31st anniversary of the Baltic chain. On the same day in 1989, “Baltic Way” was joined by around 2 million people who held hands from Tallinn through Riga to Vilnius to demonstrate unity in the fight for freedom and independence from the Soviet Union.
