Reports
Lithuania Weekly: “Day of Shame” Protest Exploited to Push Conspiracies About Elite Control
Over the past week, Kremlin-aligned media in Lithuania amplified the “Day of Shame” protest in Vilnius, portraying it as evidence of national unrest and societal collapse. Both the organisers and participants were targeted: accused of inciting chaos, mocked as “dim-witted” or “unemployed,” and discredited as representatives of genuine civic discontent. Central to these narratives was the revival of conspiracy theories about Lithuania being secretly controlled by the so-called “Landsbergiai clan,” a trope used to delegitimise public activism and suggest citizens are manipulated by hidden elites.
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Lithuania Monthly: Real Estate Tax Protest Becomes a Tool for Kremlin's Disinformation
A protest against Lithuania’s new real estate tax in April became a lightning rod for Kremlin-aligned media, which framed the demonstration as a sign of civil unrest and government collapse. Originally aimed at aligning with Western fiscal norms, the policy sparked public backlash - now amplified by narratives of corruption, conspiracy, and social injustice. Disinformation actors portrayed the protest as a grassroots revolt against a failing system, using emotionally charged slogans, fabricated links to unrelated events, and high-profile influencers to erode trust in the Lithuanian government and democratic institutions.
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Lithuania Weekly: Kremlin-Aligned Media Targets Lithuanian Leadership
This past week, Kremlin-aligned outlets seized on a protest in Vilnius against the proposed real estate tax, using it as a platform for conspiracy theories and anti-government rhetoric. Alongside slogans portraying the tax as an attack on ordinary citizens, commentary amplified the coincidental timing of a fire at a nearby waste facility, suggesting it was a deliberate attempt to suppress protest turnout. The tax itself was framed as a corrupt scheme by political elites, furthering narratives aimed at eroding trust in Lithuania’s leadership and democratic institutions.
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Lithuania Weekly: Protest Against the Planned Real Estate Tax
This past week, Kremlin-aligned outlets seized on a protest in Vilnius against the proposed real estate tax, using it as a platform for conspiracy theories and anti-government rhetoric. Alongside slogans portraying the tax as an attack on ordinary citizens, commentary amplified the coincidental timing of a fire at a nearby waste facility, suggesting it was a deliberate attempt to suppress protest turnout. The tax itself was framed as a corrupt scheme by political elites, furthering narratives aimed at eroding trust in Lithuania’s leadership and democratic institutions.
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