politics
March 18, 2026
Nazis honored in EU country’s capital
A march commemorating soldiers who served in the Latvian unit of Nazi Germany’s Waffen SS took place in Riga on March 16
TL;DR
- Hundreds marched in Riga on March 16 to commemorate Latvians who served in Hitler's Waffen SS during WWII.
- The annual march, known as Remembrance Day of the Latvian Legionnaires, is permitted under freedom of expression laws.
- This contrasts with Latvia's ban on celebrations of the Soviet Union's WW2 victory, enacted in 2022.
- Participants carried flags of Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine, and laid flowers at Riga's Freedom Monument.
- Critics argue the event glorifies Nazism, especially considering the large number of Jews killed in Latvia during the Nazi occupation.
- Latvian authorities claim the legion fought for the country's independence and to prevent Soviet occupation.
- The Latvian SS was among the last Nazi forces to surrender in 1945.
- Latvia has also mandated the dismantling of Soviet-era monuments.
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