Hundreds of youths destroyed police vehicles, smashed windows and looted shops in Latvia's capital last night when an anti-government protest turned into a riot.
The violence, after a peaceful protest by thousands calling for early elections in a country which last year had to seek a multi-billion economic rescue deal, was the worst seen since the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991.
Hundreds of protesters marched on the parliament of the EU and Nato member. Some tried to storm the building but were dispersed by riot police using teargas and truncheons.
Once police had control of the area around parliament, a large group of rioters began roaming through the city centre, smashing storefronts and office windows with cobblestones dug up from the streets. Windows at the finance ministry and several other buildings were shattered. Some shops were looted.
Rioters, a mixture of Russian-speaking and Latvian youths, overturned a police van and a police car before pounding it to pieces with wooden planks and makeshift weapons.
The riot fizzled out after about three hours when police reinforcements arrived and gradually drove the rioters away. A police spokeswoman said 126 people were arrested. Five protesters and three policemen were injured, she added.
Latvians want change as the economy, formerly the EU's fastest-growing, crashed and it had to take a €7.5 billion International Monetary Fund and EU loan.
Under the deal, the government has to slash public spending, though it has pledged to preserve social spending in the country of 2.3 million.
Reuters