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At least five arrested in protests over the demolition of a Soviet monument in Riga

MADRID, 24 Ago.

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At least five arrested in protests over the demolition of a Soviet monument in Riga

MADRID, 24 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

At least five people have been arrested this Tuesday in Riga, the capital of Latvia, when they protested the demolition of the Monument to the Liberators, built in 1985 to commemorate the victory of the Red Army over Nazi Germany in World War II.

The arrests have occurred as a result of the refusal of some people to leave the memorial complex when requested by the Police, who have reported minor verbal clashes between supporters and opponents of the removal of these monuments, located in the Pardaugava neighborhood, reports the Baltic news agency BNN.

The Latvian Defense Minister, Artis Pabriks, has described the police work as "perfect", adding that they will have "zero tolerance" with "the defenders of Russia's imperial ambitions", in line with the arguments that have been put forward in this sense to justify the removal of these monuments.

For his part, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics has warned foreign citizens that if they are "caught" committing illegalities during the removal of these monuments "they will be included in Latvia's list of undesirable persons and expelled from the country".

Known as Riga's Victory Park, it is a commemorative complex dominated by an imposing 76-meter-high obelisk, adorned with five golden stars that represent the years that World War II lasted, and escorted by two bronze statues, that of a woman representing the country and that of three soldiers.

A resolution of the Latvian Parliament establishes the disappearance before November 15 of any monument that commemorates the Soviet regime, as part of the measures that some countries are applying in retaliation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The text refers specifically to the Riga facility, erected in 1985, although it is not yet clear what will happen to the obelisk.

The monument has also traditionally served as a meeting place for citizens of Russian origin every May 9, Victory Day. About 25 percent of the Latvian population is ethnic Russian.