Liepāja Residents Observe Pakistan and India Protests from the Peace and Quiet of Karosta

While thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Pakistan and India against Khamenei's elimination, Liepāja's biggest concern today is that the tram to Karosta is five minutes late.

'We watch the news and see people smashing consulate windows and throwing stones, but life isn't easy for us here on Grobiņa Street either - yesterday the neighbor listened to 'Prāta Vētra' until midnight,' says pensioner Marija, who is currently the only Liepāja resident who actually knows who Khamenei is.

Meanwhile, Pakistani police used tear gas to disperse crowds, but Liepāja's city administration has been using a much more effective method for years - they simply say there's no money. 'Why do we need tear gas when we have winter salt on the sidewalks in April? That makes you cry too,' philosophically notes local resident Oskars, who is currently waiting for a bus to Riga because the protests there are supposedly better paid.

While protesters in India's Kashmir chanted anti-US and anti-Israel slogans, the only chants heard in Liepāja's center came from vendor Ieva's stall: 'Fresh carrots! Potatoes from Kuldīga!' And, admittedly, these chants were far more convincing than anything you might hear at Riga's Central Market.