Experience of two men at the park in Riga

Two men, Latvian citizens, are sitting on a bench in the park, watching a video on their phone together, laughing, and having a conversation in Russian. Nearby, an elderly woman is sitting on a neighboring bench. After some time, the elderly woman gets up and approaches the two men, loudly shouting angrily that there is no place for “orkiem un vatei” in the park and that in Latvia, one should speak Latvian and only Latvian. As she walks away, she spits on one of the men’s jacket. Both men are taken aback as they didn’t expect such behavior from the woman sitting next to them.

Hate speech refers to different forms of expression that incite, promote, propagate, or justify violence, hatred, or discrimination against individuals or groups based on certain characteristics such as race/skin color, ethnic origin, language, religious belief, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and others.

Kā rīkoties līdzīgā situācijā?

You can report such incidents to the Municipal Police or the State Police. Administrative penalties can be applied for such actions. According to Article 21, Point 5 of the Law on Administrative Liability, the liability for an administrative offense is increased if the motivation behind the offense is hatred towards characteristics such as race, religious belief, national affiliation, or other clearly identifiable characteristics.

Firstly, if possible, it is advisable to record audio or video evidence of the incident. Secondly, report the incident to the Municipal Police or the State Police by calling 110. You can also inform the police by sending a written statement to pasts@vp.gov.lv or submitting it at the nearest police station.

Tip: You can also report hate speech to the Latvian Human Rights Centre using the online reporting form at https://cilvektiesibas.org.lv/lv/database/report-hate-crime/.