Witness History
Witness History
The ‘Barricades’ of Latvia
Up next
July 18, 2023
10 minutes
Available for over a year
In January 1991, more than half a million people protested in Riga, the capital city of Latvia. They wanted to stop Soviet troops taking over important landmarks, so they built barricades and camped out on the streets.
Vents Krauklis was among the demonstrators. He’s been speaking to Laura Jones.
(Photo: People filling the streets of Riga during the Barricades. Credit: 1991 Barricades Museum, Riga/Ilgvars Gradovskis)