The Russian Embassy in Germany demanded that Berlin’s ban on Victory Day symbols be lifted
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The Russian Embassy in Germany strongly rejects the decision of the Berlin authorities to ban the demonstration on May 8 and 9 of symbols associated with Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War. This is stated in comments Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev.
“We strongly reject the decision of the Berlin authorities, according to which on May 8 and 9, 2023, visitors are prohibited from displaying Russian state flags at the main Soviet war memorials,” Nechaev said.
The symbols associated with Victory Day were also banned: the Banner of Victory, the flag of the USSR, the St. George ribbon, elements of historical military uniforms and songs of the war years, the ambassador listed. In his opinion, such an approach is unacceptable and immoral, and the bans introduced in Berlin must be lifted.
“Today we are seeing how in Europe the Nazis and their henchmen are elevated to the rank of national heroes. The feat of the Red Army is being discredited, Soviet military graves are being desecrated, memorials are being destroyed and demolished,” Nechaev added.
The Berlin police imposed a ban on the use of Russian and Ukrainian flags at Soviet memorials in Treptow Park, Tiergarten and Schoenholzer Heide on May 8 and 9, wrote TASS on May 5, specifying that the measure does not apply to diplomats and veterans of World War II.
Later, pro-Ukrainian lawyer Patrick Heinemann tweeted that the Berlin administrative court had lifted the ban on wearing the Ukrainian flag at Soviet memorials.
At the beginning of May, the Estonian police banned holding public events on the occasion of Victory Day using Russian and Soviet symbols. At the end of April, the Saeima (Parliament) of Latvia approved a new law “On the prohibition of certain public events on May 9”. It prohibits the holding of any events on this day – with the exception of celebrations on the occasion of Europe Day (celebrated on May 5 and 9).
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