An attempt of Latvian neo-Nazis to mark the 69th anniversary of capture of Riga by Hitler’s troops failed. Their shameful procession was dispersed by the police in the very beginning when its participants started demonstrating anti-Russian and anti-Semitic slogans. Hitler’s epigones did not manage to reach the Monument of freedom, and not just policemen but also Latvian anti-fascists blocked their way. The credit must be given to Riga authorities, the mayor of Latvian capital Nil Ushakov as they suppressed the fascist onslaught. One can’t but note that the government of Latvia condemned the actions of neo-Nazis.

We watched the events in Riga with a feeling of bitterness and anxiety. It should be remembered: the Riga duma banned the fascist procession initially but the Administrative district court of Riga canceled this ban. Things are seemingly not so good with the Latvian legislation if the organizations that do not hide their pro-fascist essence can legally exist and even request for holding public activities. And had the extremists no slogans being obviously illegal in their hands, their procession could take place.

There are also people available in our country that defeated German fascism who are not ashamed to call themselves Nazis. These are “National-Socialist society”, “Slavic union” (having characteristic Russian abbreviation “SS”), splinters of RNE (“Russian national unity”) etc – they do not hide their positive attitude towards Hitler’s ideas and incite the feelings of ethnic hatred and hostility in the society. Some of these organizations act legally today too. Moreover, armed neo-Nazi underground appeared in Russia. Street gangs of skinheads beat and kill those whom they consider “unnecessary” in Russia. Not just people with “non-Slavic appearance” become their victims but also representatives of authorities. Suffice it to mention the recent murder of the judge of Moscow city court Chuvashov E.V. who passed a sentence on participants of a gang of skinheads-Nazis not long before his death.

We are positive: ideological mentors and inspirers of today’s neo-Nazis should be liable for their unlawful actions. Their fault is often as big as the fault of those who execute the acts of violence immediately. It’s a great pity that the law-enforcement bodies and

authorities of Moscow show inconsistency and indecision in their counteraction to the actions of our own, Russian neo-Nazis: the latter desecrated the holidays established by the state more than once with their legalized processions and meetings during which racist, anti-Semitic, xenophobic slogans and appeals were proclaimed and demonstrated with impunity.

Here is another significant example from foreign law-enforcement practice. During these very days 54-year-old German is tried in FRG because the speech of Adolph Hitler was put into his mobile phone as a ring. As the independent portal “Day by day” informs, his fellow-travelers in a train heard that fuehrer’s speech with the words about elimination of all the Jews “plays” in his phone as a ringtone. After hearing such a ring several times during their trip, the fellow-travelers complained to the police, and it met him on the railway station platform. The man was taken to police station. Later the police found a photo of swastika and portrait of Hitler in his phone with inscription: “Greatest commander of all the times”. The German is now accused of encroachment on provision of the constitution of Germany where the ban for public demonstration of Nazis, their symbols and creations is written. Fuehrer’s admirer may be sentenced to half a year of imprisonment. The law of Germany is severe, and this is not a dead law.

The Constitution and laws of Russia that ban to propagate the ideas of Nazism, ideas of ethnic hatred and hostility should be steadily observed. Enlightenment work in all the educational institutions of Russia should be intensified, and it is also necessary to strive for upbringing of our youth in the spirit of ideals of democracy and tolerance. In our opinion these are the lessons that should be learnt from the events of July 1, 2010 in the capital of Latvia.