Protest over threat to close Russian schools in Latvia

[Roland Breton]

The Latvian people has right to eliminate schools teaching in the language
of the previous imperialist power that brought in their country one million
of foreigners to occupy and terrorise them through police and military
forces and finding lodgement in the houses of Latvian people killed and sent
to deportation. If the Russians want to stay in Latvia, better than going
back to Russia, they only have to speak Latvian. Is it not cool enough ?


Best regards

Roland Breton

‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹
Roland J.-L. Breton
Professor Emeritus of Geography
University of Paris 8
(Vincennes-St Denis)
<breton-roland at wanadoo.fr>




le 1/03/04 17:34, Harold F. Schiffman à haroldfs at ccat.sas.upenn.edu a
écrit :

>> From Eurolang, www.eurolang.net
>
>
> Latvia: Russian-speaking schoolchildren use Pink Floyd song in protests
> Aleksandr Shegedin in Riga 2/24/2004
>
> In Riga schoolchildren have been protesting against government plans to
> switch Russian-medium schools to the Latvian language from September 1st
> 2004. The increasingly well supported demonstrations, held throughout
> February, have been organized by the Headquarters for the Support of
> Russian-Language Schools.
>
> According to different sources 8, 000 to 23, 000 schoolchildren
> demonstrated near the residence of Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga
> after she had signed the law on the language change.
>
> The Headquarters also produced special video, which is a remake of the
> rock band Pink Floyds song Another Brick in the Wall, but with Russian
> lyrics. Schoolchildren sing the song during the demonstrations with the
> chorus:
>
> Don`t you be such fools, keep your hands out of Russian schools, dirty
> hands out of Russian schools.
>
> Russian language activists were called by Security Police to give an
> explanation as to the possible provocation of violence by the video.
> Gennady Kotov, member of the Latvian Human Rights Committee said that the
> breaking down of the wall in the clip symbolized the breaking down of the
> wall between the Latvian and Russian communities in Latvia.
>
> Representing the interests of Roger Waters, author of the Pink Floyd song,
> Warner-Chappell Music Scandinavia has applied to Latvian copyright agency
> AKKA/LAA to ban distribution of the video and song, but have not pointed
> to any precise copyright violations. In response the Latvian Human Rights
> Committee said that it is going to contact Waters personally and get a
> permit for distribution.
>
> Meanwhile, the Latvian media has run reports about clashes between
> schoolchildren on the basis of ethnic origin. However, the popular
> Russian-language newspaper the Telegraf in Riga opines that this is
> political provocation against Russian schools and that there are no
> indications of ethnic conflict. (Eurolang)
>
>
>
>