Entire families with small children and elderly people participated in the demonstration, which took place on Cathedral Square in Riga's Old Town. Members of Parliament also came to the protest, including: from the ruling New Unity party. Those gathered held flags of Latvia and the European Union, and many wore red clothing, as requested by the organizers.
The controversial law on Latvia's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, passed on October 30, sparked civil protests in Riga and was met with international criticism. On Monday, it was referred by President Edgars Rinkeviczs for reconsideration. The Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee and then the MPs set a one-year deadline for submitting comments and motions for debate on this act.
The article continues below the video
How many people took part in the demonstration in Riga?
When was the controversial Withdrawal Act passed?
Who directed the act to be reconsidered?
What arguments did politicians give to terminate the Istanbul Convention?
On Wednesday, MPs decided that the final decision on terminating the convention aimed at combating violence against women and domestic violence will be made by the new Sejm, elected in the elections scheduled for autumn 2026.
Beata Jonite, a representative of the Latvian women's rights organization Maria Center, emphasized that postponing the parliament's decision for a year does not solve the problem, but only postpones it. “We will not allow our politicians to play with human rights and the international reputation of our country,” she said.
The right wing in Latvia pushed for the withdrawal of the Istanbul Convention
Latvia's denunciation of the Istanbul Convention was pushed for by national-conservative politicians, arguing that the country's adoption of this treaty in 2023 served the authorities for other purposes, i.e. popularizing a different understanding of gender and strengthening “gender ideology” in society.
The purpose of the convention, submitted for signature by countries on May 11, 2011 in Istanbul, is to protect women against all forms of violence and to prevent and punish violence against women and domestic violence, as well as to promote effective equality between women and men. By 2020, it had been signed by over 40 countries and the EU. Türkiye was the first country to join in March 2012, but Ankara withdrew from the treaty by decree of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
