Police identify teenager who hung foreign flags on Riga's Vanšu Bridge

Riga municipal police, working with the State Police and the State Security Service, have identified a young person who twice climbed the stay cables of the Vanšu Bridge in Riga this October without permission and fastened foreign flags to them. According to police, the flags were possibly those of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The person is a minor.

How the person was identified

Police analysed available video surveillance footage and checked individuals connected to the incidents. This made it possible to establish the identity of the suspected offender.

Motive and next steps

Police say the minor acted out of hooligan motives. In connection with the incidents on 14 and 28 October, the municipal police have launched administrative offence proceedings. They concern a violation of Section 11 of the Administrative Penalties Law, which covers offences in the areas of administration, public order and use of the official language.

For disturbing public order, breaching generally accepted norms of behaviour and endangering one's own or others' safety, an individual can receive a warning or a fine of up to 500 euros.