Lithuania’s cultural community says it has seen no meaningful response from the ruling parties after early October protests against plans to hand the Culture Ministry to the Nemunas Dawn party, and plans to continue demonstrations while expanding its movement beyond Vilnius【301240302847691†L132-L135】.

Arūnas Gelūnas, director of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art and one of the protest leaders, said there is "nothing to celebrate" and the protest continues. He said they will wait for a real choice of minister whose team members will not come from Nemunas Dawn【301240302847691†L137-L144】.

Nemunas Dawn claims it has proposed a candidate for culture minister, but Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė’s spokesman denies this. Gelūnas said the conflicting claims show that any sense of progress is an illusion and called the situation a "smokescreen"【301240302847691†L146-L152】.

Gintarė Masteikaitė, head of the Lithuanian Dance Information Centre, said the decision by Nemunas Dawn and the Social Democrats to jointly search for a culture minister marked a return to square one. She said protesters will strengthen their position, and a second initiative group may form outside Vilnius to expand the movement【301240302847691†L160-L168】.

The fourth Culture Assembly brought together representatives from environmental, business, farming, service and media organisations. Organisers said more than 250 organisations support the protests and some 81,000 people have signed a petition demanding that Nemunas Dawn be excluded from leading the Culture Ministry【301240302847691†L174-L196】. Thousands of people protested on 5 October, culminating in a performance of Čiurlionis’ symphonic poem The Sea, which became the movement’s anthem【301240302847691†L189-L193】. Education, Science and Sport Minister Raminta Popovienė is currently serving as acting culture minister【301240302847691†L198-L200】.