Riga (dpa) – An annual march commemorating Latvian veterans who fought with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union in World War II drew protests Friday, though police reported no major disruptions. The annual march is meant to commemorate the approximately 50,000 Latvians who died fighting alongside Germany's Waffen-SS troops during World War II. Latvia was occupied by the Red Army in 1940 and many saw the invading German soldiers as saviors in 1941 when they pushed out the Soviets. About 140,000 Latvians eventually joined the Latvian Legion, a unit of the Waffen-SS. The modern marches started in 1990 and immediately drew protests from those who say the marches celebrate Nazi ideology. Backers of the marches say they have nothing to do with the Nazi movement, noting that the Latvians only joined the SS because, as non-Germans, they were barred from joining the standard German army, the Wehrmacht. The SS is more closely associated with the Nazi movement than the Wehrmacht. As usual, permission for the march was only given the night before by Latvian authorities. On Friday, after a service at Riga Cathedral, about 1,500 veterans and supporters marched through the city center, protected by a large phalanx of police. Several dozen protesters gathered along the march route. They were dressed in black-and-white-striped clothing, similar to that worn by inmates at Nazi-run death camps. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the march “an obvious attempt” to cover up “the truth about Nazi atrocities.” Police reported no major clashes associated with the march. The marches occur every March 16, part of the country's Legionnaire's Day. Even among Latvians who consider the soldiers to have been freedom fighters, a slight majority disapproves of the march. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/WidrB Tags: Latvia, March, Nazi Section: Europe, Latest News
