On August 23rd, Black Belt Day marches were held in 1986, 2 1 western cities (including London, Stockholm, Seattle, Los Angeles, Perth and Washington, D.C.), demanding that the world face up to the human rights violations of the Soviet Union. 1987 Black Belt Day, demonstrations were held in 36 cities including Vilnius, Lithuania. In the same year, demonstrations against the Soviet-German non-aggression treaty were held in Tallinn, Estonia and Riga, Latvia. 1988, the Soviet government approved these demonstrations for the first time without arresting the demonstrators. Social activists plan to hold a specially planned demonstration on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Soviet-German non-aggression treaty. It is still unknown who and when the proposal of human chain was put forward; It seems that it was put forward at the tripartite meeting in Bernoulli in July 15. On August 12, social activists from the three countries signed a formal agreement in Chase. The demonstration was approved by the local government. At the same time, several joint signatures condemning the Soviet occupation were supported by hundreds of thousands of people. In order to ensure that the human chain is not disturbed, the organizers clearly marked the exact locations of cities, urban and rural areas and villages on the map in advance. People with inconvenient transportation can take the bus for free. Preparations are being made all over the country, and even the suburbs that have stayed out of it before are actively participating. Although some employers do not allow employees to take time off (Wednesday, August 23rd), some employers subsidize bus fares. On August 23, the special radio broadcast was responsible for coordination. Estonia has designated this day as a public holiday.

The human chain connects Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, the capitals of the three Baltic countries. From Vilnius, take the A2 highway, pass through Ukmelguet and Panevezh, then take the E67 highway, pass through Chehanov, Bauska, Riga, Ainaz, Bernoulli, and finally reach Tallinn. At 7 pm local time (4 pm UTC), the demonstrators held hands peacefully 15 minutes, followed by some regional gatherings and demonstrations. In Vilnius, about 5,000 people gathered in the cathedral square, holding candles and singing patriotic songs (including the national anthem). In other places, monks hold mass or ring church bells. The leaders of the People's Front of Estonia and Latvia met at the border of the two countries, held a symbolic funeral and erected a huge black cross. The demonstrators held candles and held high the pre-war flags decorated with black ribbons to mourn the victims of Soviet tyranny: "forest brothers", people exiled to Siberia, political prisoners, and others labeled as "class enemies".

In Pushkin Square in Moscow, hundreds of people tried to demonstrate in support of the Baltic countries, but were stopped by riot police. According to the Tass news agency, 75 people were arrested on charges of disrupting peace and slightly damaging public facilities. In Moldova, influenced by the Soviet-German non-aggression treaty, 65,438+03,000 people demonstrated.

Most of the participants are estimated to be between 6,543,800 and 2 million. According to Reuters, about 700,000 Estonians and 654.38 million Lithuanians participated in the demonstration. The Latvian People's Front estimated that about 400,000 people participated. Before the event begins, the organizers expect that 25-30% of the indigenous people will participate. The Tass news agency reported that Soviet officials believed that 300,000 Estonians and nearly 500,000 Lithuanians participated. In order to make the human chain physically feasible, each country must have about 200 thousand people to participate. Video taken in the air shows that the human chain in rural areas is almost unbroken. Number Estonia Latvia Lithuania total population (1989) 1602703.7 million indigenous population (1959) 75% 62% 79% indigenous population (1989) 61%49% 80.