RIGA, Latvia: About 300 Latvians marched through the capital on Monday to commemorate countrymen who fought in a Waffen SS unit during World War II, defying a ban by city officials.Dozens of protesters — mainly ethnic Russians — jeered at the participants as they carried flowers to the base of the Freedom Monument in downtown Riga. Fearing clashes, police had set up barricades to keep the two sides apart at the annual event.
No violence was reported, though police spokeswoman Ieva Reksna authorities said four people were detained for unruly behavior.Unlike previous years, Riga city officials had prohibited World War II veterans and patriotic organizations from holding demonstrations, fearing they would increase tensions in the crisis-hit Baltic nation. Two months ago, anti-government protesters clashed with police outside Parliament in Latvia's worst riots since it regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
However, police allowed individuals to lay wreaths at the Freedom Monument and didn't stop the procession of aging veterans and their supporters as they marched from an Old Town cathedral.Some Latvians regard the Latvian Waffen SS, also known as the Latvian Legion, as heroes who fought not for the Nazis, but for Latvian independence against Soviet occupiers.
But ethnic Russians, who comprise approximately one-third of the country's 2.3 million people, see the Legionnaires' march as a slap in the face since they believe that the Soviet Union liberated the Baltic state from fascism."I am obligated to be here every year," said Viktors Murnieks, whose father was a Legionnaire. "The city was wrong to ban the march. People have the right to pay tribute to their fallen relatives and compatriots."
Tatyana Zhdanok, who heads a pro-Russia party in Latvia's Parliament, said such flower-laying ceremonies at a state monument should be forbidden because many participants are members of groups infamous for xenophobic and anti-Semitic views."The ideas they spread are forbidden by a number of international agreements" that Latvia has signed, said Zhdanok, who is also a member of the European Parliament.
Soviet forces occupied the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in June 1940, but were driven out by the Germans a year later. The Red Army retook the Baltic countries in 1944, and reincorporated them into the Soviet Union.About 250,000 Latvians ended up fighting alongside either the Germans or the Soviets — and around 150,000 Latvians died in the fighting.
Nearly 80,000 Jews, or 90 percent of Latvia's prewar Jewish population, were killed in 1941-42, two years before the formation of the Latvian Waffen SS unit — which some Latvians claim shows the unit could not have played a role in the Holocaust. But an unknown number of Latvian Waffen SS soldiers were involved in the murder of Jews as auxiliary police — years before they entered the front-line unit.
300 march in Latvian Waffen SS commemoration
300 march in Latvian Waffen SS commemoration
Re: 300 march in Latvian Waffen SS commemoration
It would be a honour to march with SS vets!
To death with Honour..
Re: 300 march in Latvian Waffen SS commemoration
It would be a honour to march with SS vets!
To death with Honour..
Re: 300 march in Latvian Waffen SS commemoration
you can say that again
- SchnellMeyer
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Re: 300 march in Latvian Waffen SS commemoration
Well Kamerads , I can fully say that I had the honour to do that .Plus the fact that there were 8 SS Knights Cross Holders present at the same event. Well done to those Latvian vets , good to see somebody remembers their fallen Kamerads .
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Re: 300 march in Latvian Waffen SS commemoration
Justin My dear Kamerad I think all SS Veterans remember their Fallen Kameraden But sadly they are not allowed to do so in publicSchnellMeyer wrote:Well Kamerads , I can fully say that I had the honour to do that .Plus the fact that there were 8 SS Knights Cross Holders present at the same event. Well done to those Latvian vets , good to see somebody remembers their fallen Kamerads .
Re: 300 march in Latvian Waffen SS commemoration
I think all soldiers remember their fallen Comrades not just SS veterans.
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Re: 300 march in Latvian Waffen SS commemoration
Oh yes thats right stig I think what I was trying to say that the SS cant do it in public like the Heer VeteransStigroadie wrote:I think all soldiers remember their fallen Comrades not just SS veterans.
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Re: 300 march in Latvian Waffen SS commemoration
Franz & Stig , yes yea are both right .I am sure all soldiers remember their fallen comrades .I was just confining my post to the topic on hand , which mentioned SS vets .
All fallen soldiers deserve to be remembered .
All fallen soldiers deserve to be remembered .