Published: 4 February, 2009, 15:48
Edited: 4 February, 2009, 15:48
Anti-government protesters in Lithuania have been pushing a wheelbarrow full of gold-painted onions around the capital Vilnius.
The rally was attempting to highlight public anger about the way the center-right government has dealt with the economic crisis.
A golden onion is traditionally awarded on April Fool’s Day to politicians who have given the silliest quote or devised the least effective policy.
Ironically, the parliament’s current speaker, Arunas Valiskas, was the author of this idea, but now is one the protester’s main targets.
The organisers deliberately limited the number of participants due to Lithuanian law on public protests.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Latvia, hundreds of farmers used their tractors and farming equipment to hold-up traffic and block the Agriculture Ministry in Riga. They are demanding higher prices for milk and financial relief to help pay bank loans.
The two Baltic countries are now undergoing a steep recession after years of stellar growth.