Two candidates in the upcoming Latvian parliamentary elections were prevented from campaigning in two public places -- the square by Riga's Central Station and the Central Market.
Rasma Kārkliņa, a candidate for the "Vienotiba" (Unity) alliance was told by Origo shopping center security guards to stop speaking to passers-by in front of the Central Railway Station, a place where campaigning has been conducted previously, where concerts and public gatherings have been held and where young people gather, loiter, talk and sometimes skateboard.
Kārkliņa, a political scientist who moved to Latvia from the US, was eventually taken to a police station to give an account of what happened. She says she was simply talking to bypassers, urging them to vote for Vienotības. She did not set up a table, stand, tent or other object that might have required permission from Norwegian-owned Linstow, the property management company that runs the Origo shopping center inside the Central Station and charged with maintenance and care of the public area near the station.
A spokesperson for Linstow in Latvia, responding to a discussion on Twitter, said that Karkliņa had been asked to officially coordinate her campaigning with Linstow, but had not done so. She said political parties who got approval could conduct campaign activities.
In a press release, Kārkliņa said she believed her expulsion from the Central Station Square had to do with political opponent Ainārs Šlesers former business ties to Linstow and other Norwegian business interests. Before going into politics, Šlesers played a key role in bringing the then Norwegian Rimi supermarkets, the Dressman and BikBok clothing stores and other Norwegian retailers and real estate managers into Latvia in the late 1990s. Šlesers spokespeople have denied these accusations.
Also challenged by private security guards at the Riga Central Market was Vienotiba candidate Lolita Čigāne, who was campaigning with two assistants. According to some reports, she aggressively verbally challenged those asking her to leave, citing her right as a citizen to free speech The Central Market management said they had a right to restrict Čigānes activities under a law forbidding election campaigning on property that is more than 50 % owned by a municipality. The Central Market is owned by the City of Riga, as is the Central Station.
The Central Station area and the Central Market are two areas of downtown Riga with very high pedestrian traffic with commuters going to trains or shoppers at Origo and the Central Market. They are natural areas for meeting large numbers of "ordinary" citizens.
There has been some discussion on Twitter (in Latvian) of holding a protest "Tweetmob" in the Central Station Square in the next few days to peacefully protest the violation of freedom of speech and assembly.
11 comments:
It is not true! Political candidates were not only speaking to passers- by, but also distributing political advertising - leaflets - AND IT BECOMES POLITICAL ADVERTISING in that moment. There is a difference! Ladies were trying to make this provocation for several days, and did not respond to many polite requests to settle formalieties, as it is required by law. P.S. My name is Ilona, and I am representing Linstow PR company here.
It is not true! Political candidates were not only speaking to passers- by, but also distributing political advertising - leaflets - AND IT BECOMES POLITICAL ADVERTISING in that moment. There is a difference! Ladies were trying to make this provocation for several days, and did not respond to many polite requests to settle formalieties, as it is required by law. P.S. My name is Ilona, and I am representing Linstow PR company here.
It is not true! Political candidates were not only speaking to passers- by, but also distributing political advertising - leaflets - AND IT BECOMES POLITICAL ADVERTISING in that moment. There is a difference! Ladies were trying to make this provocation for several days, and did not respond to many polite requests to settle formalieties, as it is required by law. P.S. My name is Ilona, and I am representing Linstow PR company here.
this is a clear lie..
some people are trying to push political opinions like real school bullies. there is no such thing as a oppression for afreedom of speach.
I myself would banish out of my garden, my apartment or my shower such people, so - why a company or owner of a land would be happy about such a rudeness.
persons in politics often forget that basic concept of human rights means that anybody is free to do anything till it does not interfere with other persons need to do something.
if a politician is acting like a gypsy thief in a market - what sort of politician is it?.
Thank you Juris for the quick and so needed reaction!
Dear Ilona! Leaflets to be distributed in the Linstow Warner shop would be a breach of the Latvian election law. However, the Central Railway square is a public space and its is FREE for exercing their constitutional rights to ANY Latvian inhabitant!!!
Ilona,
If you genuinely represent Linstow PR, I suggest that you find other work. You could also post your surname and other contact info. Your language here was/is quite aggressive and your use of CAPS in your post is like SHOUTING! Please inform us of what law you speak and what points the candidates violated. Also, you suggest that it was a provocation- what is your proof of this?
Last year, on the station grounds on multiple occasions I was accosted by St. George ribbon distributing Russian agitators. They did this in full view of your security. Their manner was aggressive and bullying. Why did you permit this and not normal politiking?
Anonymour #2- your garden and shower are not places of public assembly, the market and station are. As for politicians forgetting the rights of others - how were these particular politicians impeding the rights of people either near the station or market?
My name is Tom Schmit and my information is quite freely available.
Ilona, can you please tell us which paragraph in which law you are referring to?
and one more thing - did you write the second comment too?
I suppose Railway station square is not somebodys "personal garden". The concept of public space is in the core of the city. Othervise we would have only streets and high fences instead of parks and squares. And no coomunication at all whatever form it may take.
Ilona Zacmane!
I expect an apology from you to the person you wrongly accused of breaching the law. The police announced today that she did nothing unlawful.
I also expect an announcement from from Linstow where they state clearly that they will respect Latvian legislation in future and will never again dare to impede excercise of freedom of speach.
If I do not hear about the above mentioned things soon, I will personally ask people to boycott your company here and abroad. Disrespect for human rights will not be tolerated!
Despite the attempts by PLL trusties and Linstow PR to put out the flames, this just won't go away. The area outside the railway station is regarded as a public space by the inhabitants of Riga. It was already a scandal that the PLL party could use the space for advertising in contravention to planning regulations. This is worse. Preventing other parties from handing out leaflets in a public space is a serious infringement of civil liberties. Does this happen in Norway too?
Ilona Zacmane:
If Linstow Warner and you in private capacity would not publicly apologize to Mme Rasma Karklina about your company security service breaching her constitutional rights of free speech I would call my followers to boycott Linstow Warner managed companies, because your acts are utterly inadmissible in a democratic and free society.
Veiko Spolitis
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