Daugavmala (11. November Embankment) Infrastructure

The Daugavmala or 11 November embankment between the Akmens and Vanši bridges in Riga was the site of popular demonstrations in 1989-1991. The largest of them were the demonstration "Let's prevent threats to the democratization process!" organized by the Latvian Popular Front on March 12, 1989 (200-250,000 people), the demonstration "For an independent Latvia" on November 18, 1989 (600,000 participants), and the Supreme Council pre-election demonstration "Both sides of the Daugav will never be divided" organized by the LTF on March 17, 1990.

On the night of January 13, 1991, Soviet army tanks surrounded the building of the Supreme Council of Lithuania, Soviet soldiers seized Lithuanian TV, radio and telegraph, killing 14 and wounding 110 civilians. At 4:45 AM, LTF Chairman Dainis Īvāns called on Latvian radio to defend the country's most strategically important buildings. At 2:00 PM, a huge demonstration (500-600,000 people) took place on the 11th of November embankment in Riga, protesting against a possible armed coup and actions in Lithuania.

In addition to these large-scale demonstrations, other smaller-scale public demonstrations also took place on Daugavmala. Particularly emotional was the spontaneous gathering of more than 100,000 people on the 11th of November embankment on May 4, 1990, after the adoption of the Declaration “On the Restoration of the Independence of the Republic of Latvia”.