Allies Mark 30th Anniversary of ‘Baltic Way’ Protest

Hundreds of people gathered in front of Capitol Hill on August 23 to re-enact the iconic Baltic Way protest of 1989.

On a rainy August 23, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) joined with Baltic leaders; the embassies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; the Delegation of the European Union to the United States; Estonian American National Council; Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC); and Lithuanian American Council to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way — the day in 1989 when two million Balts joined hands in a 370-mile long human chain to protest Soviet occupation.

Speakers included VOC Executive Director Marion Smith; the State Department’s Director of Nordic, Baltic, and Arctic Security Affairs Erika Olson; Estonian Amb. Jonatan Vseviov; the Latvian Embassy’s Third Secretary Artūrs Saburovs; JBANC Managing Director and former VOC Trustee Karl Altau; and Counselor of the Lithuanian Embassy Kęstutis Vaškelevičius. A statement of support was read from Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), a member of the Victims of Communism Congressional Caucus.