Police prevent Riga pro-Nazi march

July 4, 2010

(JTA) -- Latvian police prevented a scheduled march in Riga to mark the anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Latvia from taking place.

Police on July 1 called in for questioning the organizer of the march, Uldis Freimanis; under Latvian law, a political march cannot take place without the main organizer being present.

A Latvian district court had ruled June 30 that a small group of ultra-rightists could for the first time since World War II celebrate the Nazi occupation of the country, overturning a Riga City Council ban on the July 1 event.

On July 1, a group of 20 to 50 people, mostly older, laid flowers at the city's Freedom Monument, also called the Latvian Occupation Museum, in a small ceremony, Reuters reported.

Latvian President Valdis Zatlers issued a strong statement against the planned demonstration, calling it "a mockery of the country's independence."

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman arrived Sunday in Latvia for a commemoration of the genocide of Riga's Jews.

Click to login and write a letter to the editor or sign up for the Daily Briefing.

This article was made possible by the support of readers like you. Donate to JTA now.

JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

Share

Police prevent Riga pro-Nazi march

Featured Content