Май 12 2014

  • Май 12, 2014

    • Newspapers report about celebration of 9 May in Latvia
    • Latvijas Avize interviewed young people who took part in the 9 May celebrations in Riga
    • Minister of Interior Rihards Kozlovskis made racist remark towards Latvian national Bolshevik Ajo Beness

    Newspapers report about celebration of 9 May (unofficial for Latvia Victory Day or the end of the WWII) in Latvia. About 20 events devoted to 9 May were held in Latvia but the biggest celebration was organised in Riga. 100,000 to 150,000 people according to different sources took part in it. It was also attended by the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs who stressed in his speech that the veterans did not distinguish themselves into ethnic Latvians, Russians or Ukrainians and therefore won the Nazism. The Mayor also said that Latvia is our home and all residents regardless of their ethnic belonging should cherish it. Although the organizers of the celebration decided not to distribute St. George ribbons this year, representatives of some political organizations took the initiative and distributed the ribbons.  About 8,000 people took part in the 9 May procession in Daugavpils. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

    Latvijas Avize interviewed young people who took part in the 9 May celebrations in Riga on the reasons why they attend it. All the interviewed said that they came to commemorate the veterans. On the question about Latvian occupation by the USSR, some young people did not agree that Latvia was occupied. They also said that they see connection between spread of Nazism and current events in Ukraine.  

    Diena reports that the Minister of Interior Rihards Kozlovskis in an interview to one of the TV channels, commenting activities of a Latvian dark skinned National-Bolshevik Ajo Beness in Ukraine and possible deprivation of Latvia citizenship stated that “if Latvia would own Tobago we could send him there.”  Tobago was Latvian colony in 17th century. The newspaper notes that such indirect racist jokes are inadmissible for such high state officials.  Later, Mr Kozlovskis apologized for his words.