About 6,000 Russian teenagers and schoolchildren staged a noisy protest outside Latvia's parliament

About 6,000 Russian teenagers and schoolchildren staged a noisy protest outside Latvia's parliament just before lawmakers passed a law Thursday requiring that all public schools -- including those with all-Russian student bodies -- teach mainly in Latvian. In what was one of the largest demonstrations in recent Latvian history, hundreds of children waved mostly Russian-language placards, one reading, "Don't twist our arms. Let us speak Latvian voluntarily!" The crowd also chanted "hands off our school" and "no to the reforms" in Russian. The new law mandates that at least 60 percent of classes in public schools, even those catering to the large Russian-speaking minority, must be taught in Latvian starting in September. After several hours of heated debate, with many ethnic-Russian deputies speaking in opposition, the 100-seat Saeima overwhelmingly approved the legislation by a 71-25 vote. Other deputies either weren't present or didn't vote. Russians call the requirements discriminatory and say they are an attack on their way of life, charges echoed by Moscow. Latvians counter that they are meant to help integrate minorities, adding that those who don't learn Latvian will find it hard to secure good jobs.