on 12 january, the popular front announced nationwide demonstrations to be held on 13 january in support of latvia's lawfully elected government and the guarding of strategic objectives. the presidium of the supreme soviet of the russian sfsr called on the soviet government to withdraw its military forces from the baltic states. leaders of the latvian government met with gorbachev who gave assurances that force would not be used. that night the popular front, after learning that soviet forces in lithuania had attacked the vilnius tv tower and killed 13 civilians, called on people to gather for the defense of strategic objectives. due to a united effort of the baltic states to regain their independence in the previous years of the singing revolution, an attack on one of them was perceived as an attack on all of them.