Unlike a week ago, coalition leader Social Democrat Gintautas Paluckas showed up in the rally that started at 7 p.m. in Independence Square. He was confirmed as new prime minister by the president on Thursday.
As he took the stage, protesters greeted him in silence. One of the organisers of the protest, Marius Meškerys, handed him a bouquet of dead roses and a letter with the demands.
"When we talk about democracy, we have to bear in mind that every vote counts in a democracy. But in a democracy, decisions are taken by the majority of the population after hearing the views and positions of all. So, today, while respecting the arguments and the position, I would like to ask you not to lose hope (...) that the new coalition and the new Government will be able to dispel your worries about national security, defence, public services," said Paluckas.
Protesters started shouting "shame" at the new prime minister’s statements.
In the first rally held on Thursday last week, the demonstrators addressed the new Seimas Speaker Saulius Skvernelis and Paluckas, candidate for prime minister at that time, but none of them came to meet the protesters.
"Since they did not hear us the first time, you decided to come again. Thank you for that," said Mantas Meškerys, one of the organisers.
A number of posters were seen in the crowd, saying "We need a new leader", "The world is watching. What will you choose?", some of them indicated environmental policy issues. People were waving flags of Lithuania, Ukraine, Israel, and LGBT, and some activists held grave candles with the writing "For moral values". A large number of officers are on duty at the protest site.
Several politicians were seen in the crowd – Liberal MP Simonas Kairys, Freedom Party’s ex-MP Tomas Vytautas Raskevičius, and Ieva Budraitė, leader of the Green Party. Democrat MP Tomas Tomilinas, representative of the new ruling majority, also came to meet the protesters
People gathered outside the Seimas did not hide their resentment against the new ruling majority. Ugnius, a resident of Vilnius, told ELTA he hoped to see the new Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas in the protest this evening. The politician’s appearance would signal that the protesters’ voice is heard, he said.
"I believe we have drawn the attention – which is the main goal of the protest. [To the fact] that we will not stand still and be silent," Ugnius said.
Aistė from Vilnius said she expected a reaction from the government.
"Probably we should not expect the coalition to change or its composition to change. But at least we want to show that we are against this government. And that they know it," said Aistė, one of the protesters from Vilnius.
Jonas from Elektrėnai said he hoped to be heard by the new Seimas.
"I came to express my dissatisfaction with the current situation. To say that there is no place for antisemitism in Lithuania. To say that there is no place for discrimination against any group of people in Lithuania. What has happened – that the Nemunas Dawn was included in the ruling coalition – proves that the Social Democrats are more interested in their thirst for power than in their promises or their values," he told ELTA.
As reported, the first rally Ten Minutes of Silence was held on 14 November, when the newly elected Seimas convened for its first sitting. However, neither Paluckas, nor leader of Democrats For Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis came to speak to protesters. Whereas Žemaitaitis claimed that he perceived the rally as "a sign of respect" for him.
After winning parliamentary elections in October, the LSDP decided to create the ruling coalition not only with Democrats For Lithuania but also with the Nemunas Dawn and it will have 86 out of 141 seats in the Seimas.