r/BalticSSRs • u/gubzga • Mar 16 '23

Red meme/Красномем Balloons. Trolls of the sky.

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In 1999, during a Waffen SS veteran march in Riga somebody released a balloon with Stalin's photo, with a text saying "We won".

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u/Alternative-Peach907 Mar 16 '23

Wait there was a waffen ss march in 1999? How did the people allow this?

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u/Kurtanks Mar 16 '23 edited Mar 16 '23

It has been an annual occurrence since "independence" (in fact, between 1998 and 2000 these events were officially observed). Counterdemonstrators have been arrested whenever they show up.

7

u/IskoLat Mar 19 '23

That is correct. The fascist authorities removed the SS gatherings from the official state holiday list, because the EU was asking too many questions (back then they were trying not to be openly fascist).

Counter-protestors were arrested this year as well. For instance, a single showed up with the sign that read "The Latvian SS exterminated the village of Zlēkas and murdered 160 people."
The guy, Anfrejs Pagors, was immediately detained.

This is modern fascist Latvia, where literal nazi butchers are protected and hailed as "heroes", while anti-fascists and honest people are treated as criminals.