The number of participants did not exceed 1,000 persons at any one time. Ruks estimated it was a large enough number of people: "It's a mass gathering. In my view, very irresponsible, irresponsible on the part of the organizers."
Ap pulksten 22.30 par uzbrukumu policijas amatpersonai, par ko ziņojām ap pulksten 18.40, aizturēta un nogādāta iecirknī viena persona. Savukārt šīs personas biedrs aizturēts par huligāniskām darbībām.
— Valsts policija (@Valsts_policija) December 13, 2021
*Foto uzņemts ap pulksten 22.00, apmeklētāju skaits turpina mazināties. pic.twitter.com/mTN8J3UyRm
In general, the protest passed without particularly significant incidents, although four criminal proceedings for scuffles with police were initiated, and four people were detained in connection with these actions. The assaults were directed against two State Police and two local government police officers. The officers needed medical assistance but there was no serious bodily harm.
A total of 16 persons were detained for various offenses during the protest.
The police promise to assess the responsibility of the organizers and most active participants, including the populist Saeima deputy Aldis Gobzems who has named his new party 'Law and Order'.
Last week, Gobzems was temporarily detained both in Tukums and later in Ventspils due to similar unauthorized pickets. Gobzems and his supporters are critical of government handling of the Covid pandemic, among other things. He features prominently in a recent report on Covid skepticism and misinformation from Re:Baltica.
