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| '''Neo-Nazism in Estonia''' refers to sympathy for Nazi aims and ideology, its symbolism and pro-Nazi historical revisionism in ]. |
'''Neo-Nazism in Estonia''' refers to sympathy for Nazi aims and ideology, its symbolism and pro-Nazi historical revisionism in ]. | ||
| Neo-nazism has also found support amongst a minority of Estonia's ] population, who have engaged in violent attacks against foreigners and are known to have ties to neo-Nazis in the ]. | Neo-nazism has also found support amongst a minority of Estonia's ] population, who have engaged in violent attacks against foreigners and are known to have ties to neo-Nazis in the ]. | ||
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| == Incidents == | == Incidents == | ||
| ⚫ | On April 22, 2001 several dozen skinheads in Tartu, Estonia held a torch-bearing demonstration to mark Hitler's birthday, according to broadcast on Estonian Television.{{fact}} | ||
| In 2001 An African-American student studying in Tartu, Estonia has told a local newspaper that he is considering leaving the country before his semester ends because of constant harassment and threats from skinheads. | |||
| On February 6, 2006 Estonian skinheads, displaying Swastikas and Iron Crosses on their clothing, confronted an American Embassy employee of Asian descent in front of McDonalds at approximately 1830 hours. A verbal exchange ensued but the American escaped from the situation physically unharmed.{{fact}} Skinheads subsequently bashed Estonia's Third Pride Parade in Tallinn.<ref> GayRussia.ru. 13 August 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2009.</ref> Skinheads had previously beaten demonstrators during a pride parade in 2006.<ref name = "Pride Parade 2006">Wockner, Rex. ''San Francisco Bay Times''. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2009.</ref> At least 15 marchers had to be hospitalized.<ref name = "Pride Parade 2006">Wockner, Rex. ''San Francisco Bay Times''. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2009.</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | On April 22, 2001 several dozen skinheads in Tartu, Estonia held a torch-bearing demonstration to mark Hitler's birthday, according to broadcast on Estonian Television. | ||
| Roman Ilin, a Jewish theatre director in ], was attacked by neo-Nazis when returning from an underground tunnel following a 2006 rehearsal. Ilin subsequently accused Estonian police force of indifference after filing the incident.<ref> UCSJ: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union. 26 April 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2009.</ref> When a dark-skinned ] student was attacked in ], the center of Estonia's student life, police reacted to the incident lightly, claiming that foreign students in Estonia had frequently caught themselves up in trouble over the previous two years, although the head of an association of foreign students described the attack as an incident characteristic of a larger wave of neo-Nazi violence.<ref> Human Rights First. 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2009.</ref> | |||
| On February 6, 2006 Estonian skinheads, displaying Swastikas and Iron Crosses on their clothing, confronted an American Embassy employee of Asian descent in front of McDonalds at approximately 1830 hours. A verbal exchange ensued but the American escaped from the situation physically unharmed. | |||
| At a commemoration of Estonian ] veterans in 2007, Defence Minister ] and Parliament member Trivimi Velliste were accompanied by crowds of youth dressed in Nazi symbols.<ref name = "Estonia feting Nazi past draws ire">>Serebryany, Igor. "Estonia feting Nazi past draws ire". 6 August 2007. ''JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People''. http://jta.org/news/article-print/2007/08/06/103437/EstoniaSS Retrieved 5 June 2009.</ref> ] of the United States-based ] said that the events, also attracting "dozens of foreign neo-Nazis clearly the danger that they will encourage the rebirth of fascism and racist extremism."<ref> European Jewish Press. 8 August 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2009.</ref> Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Chairman ] has remarked that Estonia's efforts to gloss over its Nazi past would be high on the assembly’s agenda during its convention in ].<ref name = "Estonia feting Nazi past draws ire">Serebryany, Igor. "Estonia feting Nazi past draws ire". 6 August 2007. ''JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People''. http://jta.org/news/article-print/2007/08/06/103437/EstoniaSS Retrieved 5 June 2009.</ref> | |||
| On 12 August, 2006 participants in a LGBT Pride march in Tallinn were attacked by more than a dozen counter-demonstrators. More than ten participants in the march were injured and one person was hospitalized with head injuries. The counter-demonstrators, who defined themselves as Estonian nationalists, physically and verbally attacked marchers, spat on them as well as throwing stones and eggs at them . The counter-demonstrators were able to attack the marchers without being stopped by law enforcement officials. | |||
| Estonia's former Ministry of Justice official Raigo Solgo was identified as the leader of Estonian neo-Nazis by American expatriate neo-Nazi Craig Cobb, who has been operating in Estonia since the 2000s.<ref name = "SPLC Intel Report 2007"> ''Intelligence Report'' Summer 2007. ]{{ndash}}SPLC.org. Retrieved 6 June 2009.</ref> | |||
| According to the Communist Party of Estonia, Estonia is the only European country where goods with Nazi symbols are sold openly in the city centre. | |||
| Parliamentary bodies of the member-states of the “Eurasia” geopolitical group{{ndash}}formed by the majority of the former Soviet republics now acting together as the ]{{ndash}}have passed a 2007 resolution expressing these nations' collective "deep concern over the neo-Nazi sentiments in Estonia."<ref> National Assembly of the Council of the Republic of Belarus. 30 April 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2009.</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| The American government's Overseas Security Advisory Council has formulated a specific set of tips for American travelers visiting Estonia who are concerned about the country's neo-Nazi activity. The United States report advises that it is best to avoid neo-Nazis upon encountering them.<ref name = "OSAC"> OSAC. 14 February 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2009.</ref> The OSAC recommends that Americans confronted by Estonian neo-Nazis: | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| <blockquote>1) Do not engage in conversation/confrontation.</blockquote> | |||
| <blockquote>2) Attempt to enter a business or other public venue where others are present.</blockquote> | |||
| <blockquote>3) Call the local police.</blockquote> | |||
| <blockquote>4) Once you are out of danger and the police have been consulted, call the American Embassy at 668-8169.<ref name = "OSAC"> OSAC. 14 February 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2009.</ref></blockquote> | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * ''Russia Today''. 22 April 2009. | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 12:21, 6 June 2009
Neo-Nazism in Estonia refers to sympathy for Nazi aims and ideology, its symbolism and pro-Nazi historical revisionism in Estonia.
Neo-nazism has also found support amongst a minority of Estonia's Russophone population, who have engaged in violent attacks against foreigners and are known to have ties to neo-Nazis in the Russian Federation.
Incidents
On April 22, 2001 several dozen skinheads in Tartu, Estonia held a torch-bearing demonstration to mark Hitler's birthday, according to broadcast on Estonian Television.
On February 6, 2006 Estonian skinheads, displaying Swastikas and Iron Crosses on their clothing, confronted an American Embassy employee of Asian descent in front of McDonalds at approximately 1830 hours. A verbal exchange ensued but the American escaped from the situation physically unharmed. Skinheads subsequently bashed Estonia's Third Pride Parade in Tallinn. Skinheads had previously beaten demonstrators during a pride parade in 2006. At least 15 marchers had to be hospitalized.
Roman Ilin, a Jewish theatre director in St. Petersburg, was attacked by neo-Nazis when returning from an underground tunnel following a 2006 rehearsal. Ilin subsequently accused Estonian police force of indifference after filing the incident. When a dark-skinned French student was attacked in Tartu, the center of Estonia's student life, police reacted to the incident lightly, claiming that foreign students in Estonia had frequently caught themselves up in trouble over the previous two years, although the head of an association of foreign students described the attack as an incident characteristic of a larger wave of neo-Nazi violence.
At a commemoration of Estonian Waffen-SS veterans in 2007, Defence Minister Jaak Aaviksoo and Parliament member Trivimi Velliste were accompanied by crowds of youth dressed in Nazi symbols. Dr. Efraim Zuroff of the United States-based Simon Wiesenthal Center said that the events, also attracting "dozens of foreign neo-Nazis clearly the danger that they will encourage the rebirth of fascism and racist extremism." Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Chairman Rene van der Linden has remarked that Estonia's efforts to gloss over its Nazi past would be high on the assembly’s agenda during its convention in Strasbourg.
Estonia's former Ministry of Justice official Raigo Solgo was identified as the leader of Estonian neo-Nazis by American expatriate neo-Nazi Craig Cobb, who has been operating in Estonia since the 2000s.
Parliamentary bodies of the member-states of the “Eurasia” geopolitical group–formed by the majority of the former Soviet republics now acting together as the Commonwealth of Independent States–have passed a 2007 resolution expressing these nations' collective "deep concern over the neo-Nazi sentiments in Estonia."
The American government's Overseas Security Advisory Council has formulated a specific set of tips for American travelers visiting Estonia who are concerned about the country's neo-Nazi activity. The United States report advises that it is best to avoid neo-Nazis upon encountering them. The OSAC recommends that Americans confronted by Estonian neo-Nazis:
1) Do not engage in conversation/confrontation.
2) Attempt to enter a business or other public venue where others are present.
3) Call the local police.
4) Once you are out of danger and the police have been consulted, call the American Embassy at 668-8169.
External links
- "Tackling Neo-Nazi Rise in Post-Soviet Era". Russia Today. 22 April 2009.
References
- "Third Gay Pride March in Tallinn Bashed by Young Skinheads". GayRussia.ru. 13 August 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- ^ Wockner, Rex. "Skinheads Beat Estonian Pride Marchers". San Francisco Bay Times. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- "Estonian Police Criticized for Reaction to Antisemitic Incident". UCSJ: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union. 26 April 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- "Violence Based on Racism and Xenophobia: 2008 Hate Crime Survey". Human Rights First. 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- ^ >Serebryany, Igor. "Estonia feting Nazi past draws ire". 6 August 2007. JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People. http://jta.org/news/article-print/2007/08/06/103437/EstoniaSS Retrieved 5 June 2009. Cite error: The named reference "Estonia feting Nazi past draws ire" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- "Jewish Group Criticizes Glorification by Estonia of its Support for Nazis in WWII". European Jewish Press. 8 August 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- "Estonia: U.S. Neo-Nazi Operates in Estonia". Intelligence Report Summer 2007. Southern Poverty Law Center–SPLC.org. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- "Statement of the Member-States of 'Eurasia' Geopolitical Group in view of Estonia’s Adopting 'On Protection of Military Graves' Law". National Assembly of the Council of the Republic of Belarus. 30 April 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- ^ "Racially Motivated Violence in Estonia". OSAC. 14 February 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2009.