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Revision as of 03:57, 6 June 2009 by PasswordUsername (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Neo-Nazism in Estonia refers to sympathy for Nazi aims and ideology, its symbolism and pro-Nazi historical revisionism in Estonia. It often manifests itself through racist attacks, discrimination against Estonia's ethnic minorities, vandalism and graffiti and attempts to gloss over or excuse Estonia's actiions in the Second World War
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
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 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.
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.
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. Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Chairman Rene van der Linden of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 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.
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.
See also
- ^ >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).