Russian Embassy Condemns Waffen-SS Veterans March In Latvian Capital

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th March, 2019) The Russian embassy in Latvia condemned the march of Waffen-SS legionnaires and their supporters in the Latvian capital of Riga and called this event an act of disgrace.

Marches commemorating deceased members of the Latvian Legion of the Waffen-SS are held annually in Riga on March 16. Over 1,000 people took part in the march in Riga on Saturday.

"What a disgrace! Former legionnaires of Waffen-SS and their supporters are again 'marching' with honor in the center of a European capital. And this happens on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Riga from Nazi invaders!" the embassy said on Twitter.

The Waffen-SS was founded as an armed wing of the Nazi party. It fought alongside the German regular army in World War Two and provided guards for concentration camps in Germany and abroad. It was ruled a criminal organization at post-war Nuremberg trials. The Latvian Legion was created in 1943 and it consisted of two Grenadier Divisions of the SS.

The annual march has become a cause for harsh criticism by a number of international anti-fascist organizations as well as of governments worldwide, including Moscow.