Earlier this year, Latvia received a nasty reality check when the popular Centrs department store was bombed. As a result of the incident, people realised that, whatever the reason for the blast was and whoever the perpetrators were, Latvia, like any other country in the world, is not immune from public terrorism. Unfortunately, Latvia seems to be a magnet for such occurences, very much due to its complicated history.
History plays a major role in modern society, and is especially visible in Latvia.
Latvia's diplomatic premises in Russia are regularly attacked with eggs or even firebombs, such as this past week. Requests for additional security from Russian authorities have been denied each time on funding grounds. The diplomatic premises also constantly face protests from various groups, demanding, for example, the release of those convicted of genocide or the relaxation of language and citizenship laws. However, others go even further, calling for the restoration of the Soviet Union or some form of revocation of Latvia's independence. One such group in particular is causing Latvian authorities a lot of headaches.