While Veterans of the latvian legion of the Waffen-SS are allowed to march on the "Day of Legionnaires" - Antifascists are arrested during their entry of Latvia.
Tommorow, on 16th of March, in the latvian capital Riga there will be - as every year since 1991 - a commemoration for members of the latvian Waffen-SS. For them there will be held a minister and afterwards a rally to the Liberation Monument.
The latvian legion of the Waffen-SS was deployed
on the 16th of March in 1943. Amongst others members of the commando
Victor Arjas, who had killed one half of the latvian Jews beforehead,
were part of these troops. International pressure achieved that since
1998 this day is no more a "official" national holiday.
The few
Latvians who organise protest against this dispicable rally face heavy
repression. Phone surveillance, travel restrictions, state using its
influence on hotels and event businesses to prevent them from renting
their properties to organisations like "Latvian without Nazism" in order
to force them to give up their fight.
Due to an invitation of
"Latcia without Nazism" members of the Association of Persecutes of
Naziregime - Federation of Antifascists will join the protest against
the SS comemmoration march. Some members of the delegation will be
missing during this protest. Thomas Willms, Markus Tervooren, Günther
Hoppe, Lothar Eberhard and Werner Müller were arrested when they tried
to enter Latvia. Also the chairwomen of the Association of Persecutees
of Naziregime Cornelia Kerth was hindered to enter her plane in Germany.
Already today, 15 of March at 18 o'clock, there will be protest against this outrageous situation in front of the latvian embassy in Berlin (Reinerzstraße 41/42).
We demand:
End the comemmoration of SS-crimanals and murderers!
Recognitoin of the baltic cooperation of the nazist genocide!
Fredom for "Latvia without Nazism"!
Immediate Release of the arrested Antifascists!