Lukashenka’s special services attempt to incite ethnic hatred in Lithuania via vandalism and propaganda

On August 1, 2024, in central Vilnius, Lithuania, unknown individuals connected to Lukashenka’s special services carried out vandalism on the European Humanities University building and other locations, leaving messages like “Tsikhanouskaya, get out of our city.” Earlier graffiti, mixing Cyrillic and Latin scripts, proclaimed “Vilnius is ours,” attempting to suggest Belarusian hostility towards Lithuanians. Subsequently, an attack damaged the souvenir store of former Belarusian political prisoner Zmitser Furmanau, including broken windows, broken door, and graffiti in Lithuanian calling Belarusians swear words. Belarusian state media exploited this attack to portray Lithuanians as hostile to Belarusians, omitting Furmanau’s status as a forced exile, feeding a propaganda narrative that Belarusians face hatred abroad and should remain loyal to the Belarusian regime. Lithuanian society largely ignored these provocations, thwarting the narrative's intended impact. This coordinated harassment and media manipulation represent an orchestrated attempt by Lukashenka’s regime to sow ethnic discord and preserve regime control by discouraging dissent.