Latvian court prohibits Waffen SS march
A court in Riga, Latvia, has ruled a Latvian ultra-loyalist group will not be allowed to march Sunday in a tribute to Waffen SS
veterans of World War II.
Riga authorities earlier rejected three applications by several organizations to hold the event, Novosti reported Wednesday.
It is reported that the only group permitted to stage a brief street march Sunday is a WW II veterans organization, Daugavas Vanagi.
A Riga march in 2005 held by the Latvian Legion, involving WW II SS veterans and young loyalists, reportedly ended in several arrests after fighting with Russian activists.
The event honored a March 1944 battle between German and Soviet soldiers on the Velikaya River banks in northwestern Russia.
Communications among Russia, Latvia and Estonia have been troubled during recent years by what Moscow says is the unfair manipulation of ethnic Russians, the alleged assault of Soviet WWII veterans and the rebirth of fascism and nationalism in the Baltic States.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Publication date: 13 March 2008
Source: UPI-1-20080313-00074900-bc-latvia-nazimarch.xml
Latvian court prohibits Waffen SS march