[spectre] CALL for solidarity with citizens defending public space in Vilnius (Modified by Geert Lovink)

[gediminas.urbonas at kit.ntnu.no]

Your solidarity with citizens fighting for the public space in Vilnius
is needed.

We are writing to you with hope, to support the movement that tries to
escape destruction of the public cultural space and the biggest
non-commercial cinema in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

Sign an online petition and express your solidarity with citizens
defending public space in Vilnius :
www.culture.lt/petition

At the moment 4 citizens are defending public space in the Vilnius
County Administrative Court appealing for the violation of the law in
the detailed planning process in the site of cinema Lietuva. This court
process is a follow-up of the actions initiated in spring 2005 as a
campaign for reclaiming public space.

For the active position citizens are threatened by the private
developers for “doing tremendous harm to their investment and stopping
the development of the site”. They keep intimidating the protesters,
threatening to appeal to the Civil Court if we not withdrew our claim
for the public interest.

We appeal for this solidarity, as we are confronting vast machinery of
the bureaucrats and lawyers serving the private investors. There is a
strong feeling that presence of international solidarity for cinema
Lietuva case might discipline the decisions of local clerks.

Vilnius City Council is the last institution to approve detailed
planning and to issue permits for the construction (and destruction of
the cinema), we retain the hope that the destruction can be prevented
if there is an international reaction expressing concern over the
destruction of public space, of cultural space, corruption and
non-transparent process of urban development.

Please forward this call to all people of a good will.

On behalf of the movement
Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas

Sign an online petition and express your solidarity with citizens
defending public space in Vilnius :
www.culture.lt/petition


Further information can be found here:
http://transform.eipcp.net/correspondence/1179495490
http://www.indymedia.org/en/2007/05/886010.shtml
http://www.liberation.fr/culture/cinema/237838.FR.php



Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas
Mildos 11-13,
10311 Vilnius
Lithuania

e-mail: info at nugu.lt
tel.: +370.656.64.311