Demolition of the monument dedicated to Soviet troops at Slava Square in Daugavpils commenced on the night to Monday, 31 October. Prior to the start of the monument’s demolition Latvian police detained 37 people, as reported by State Police (VP).
At the evening on Sunday, 30 October, a couple of hundred people came to the monument to leave flowers and light candles. On Friday, 28 October, the Mayor of Daugavpils Andrejs Elksniņš posted on social media, inviting residents to bring flowers and light candles at remaining Soviet monuments one last time before they are demolished.
«We have three days to pay say our farewells to these monuments, bring flowers, light candles and take photos. Law enforcement institutions will impose numerous restrictions. However, until 22:00 p.m. 30 October access to monuments will be permitted,» he wrote.
According to Latvian police, the situation at Slavas Square at the evening on 30 October was generally peaceful – people who came to the monument brought flowers and left candles. The flow of people varied during the day.
By evening, when flowers and candles started to be gathered to be transported to the cemetery, and the areas started to be fenced off, some groups of people appeared to voice their dislike of the monument’s demolition. Conflicts with the police were present.
Around 200 people remained within the vicinity of the monument as efforts to fence off the area went on.
According to the police, remaining people were dispersed and removed from the fenced off area. Some of them still remained in the vicinity and shouted obscenities at the construction workers. There were also attempts to approach the fenced off area.
People who resisted police officers were detained.
37 people were detained during the day. The absolute majority of them were detained late in the evening.
According to VP, 37 administrative violation procedures were commenced – 15 for resisting the police, 13 for drunk behaviour in a public place. VP also commenced three administrative violation procedures for small hooliganism, three for playing and singing war-glorifying songs.
One administrative violation procedure was commenced over saying words in Russian language glorifying military aggression and justifying war in a public place. One administrative violation procedure was commenced for breach of drone flight regulations, and another one for consumption of alcohol in a public place.
Police also commenced one criminal procedure for hooliganism, police report.
According to law enforcers, following the dispersal of the crowd, demolition of the monument passed smoothly and without incident.
Also read: Daugavpils mayor invites residents to say «farewell» to monuments to be removed in Latvia