Organizer abandons May 9 'Immortal Regiment' event in Tallinn
The organizer has decided to cancel the "Immortal Regiment" procession in Tallinn that was registered for May 9. A similar march in Sillamäe had previously been canceled.
"Tensions are growing in society in light of the Ukraine war. To avoid all manner of provocations, we have decided to cancel the May 9 event," Andrei Gontšarov, who initially registered the "Immortal Regiment" procession with the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), told ERR's Russian arm.
He said that those who wish can still take flowers to the military cemetery in Tallinn and the Bronze Soldier monument there, while there will not be placards of any kind.
"There are no other options today. People can simply bring flowers and pay their respect to the fallen," Gontšarov said.
Gontšarov hinted that the procession could be canceled for this year already on March 14, which is also when ERR reported that a similar event in Sillamäe would not be taking place this year.
Russians and many other former citizens of the Soviet Union celebrate May 9 as the day the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany in WWII. Western countries celebrate the victory on May 8. Russian authorities have recently hijacked the "Immortal Regiment" movement that began as a civil initiative and are using it in the service of the Kremlin's aggressive treatment of history and foreign policy.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
