THE SS MONUMENT HAS BEEN DESTROYED

REGIONS

On September 2, in the town of Lihula (Western Estonia), by order of the government, a monument to Estonians who fought in World War II on the side of Germany was dismantled. As follows from the official statement circulated ...

On September 2, in the town of Lihula (Western Estonia), by order of the government, a monument to Estonians who fought in World War II on the side of Germany was dismantled.

As follows from an official statement released by the republican news agency BCN, “the memory of the Estonian freedom fighters should be immortalized with dignity, respecting their true human aspirations and motives, and not the uniform imposed on them by the other side ... The government is ready to cooperate with the local government to erect a monument in honor of Estonian freedom fighters. It was especially emphasized that the obelisk installed in Lihula was unsuccessful and did not decide the main role: to capture the memory of the fighters for the freedom of the republic. At the same time, he casts a shadow on this memory, linking the struggle for the freedom of the country with the totalitarian regime that occupied Estonia.

During the dismantling of the monument, there were some incidents. Local residents, annoyed by the decision of the authorities, began to throw stones at the truck on which the obelisk was loaded. The police also got it, which answered with batons. In addition, the law enforcement officers had specially trained guard dogs in their defense arsenal. However, this was not enough: completely angry villagers were calmed only by threats to use tear gas. However, extraordinary measures were not required: the dismantling and evacuation of the monument was carried out late in the evening, and the ensuing darkness stopped the unrest. According to Jaak Kastepõld, chairman of the Lihula parish council, the action to destroy the monument is illegal. Therefore, local governments intend to formally challenge the decision of the Estonian government by going to court.