The police will increase patrolling during Victory over Fascism Day – Respublika.lt

“The police will work in their territories, monitor and ensure public order, monuments are monitored more on special days, more attention will be paid to them, they will be included in the patrol routes,” Police Department representative Ramūnas Matonis told Elta.

On Thursday, the Vilnius police intends to ensure public order in the Antakalnis cemetery, where participants of the Second World War who fought on the side of the Soviet Union are buried. People who want to celebrate Victory Day gather at this cemetery every year. Last year, a monument to Soviet soldiers was dismantled here.

“Every year Vilnius district VPK police officers are working at the Antakalnis cemetery on May 9, ensuring public order and seriousness. This year is no exception. The police forces (both uniformed and non-uniformed officers) will patrol and record possible violations in the cemetery you mentioned, monitor the participants who have arrived in order to avoid possible provocations, to prevent administrative offenses due to the display of prohibited symbols,” Vilnius County Police representative Julija Samorokovskaja said to Eltai.

The Code of Administrative Offenses provides for liability for the distribution or display of Nazi, communist symbols, symbols of totalitarian or authoritarian regimes. Distribution, use in meetings, public places or other public display of the flag or coat of arms of the USSR or the Lithuanian SSR, flags, signs or uniforms, the Soviet hammer and sickle sign, the Soviet red five-pointed star sign, in meetings, public places or other public display, as well as the USSR or the Lithuanian SSR the public performance of the anthem entails a fine for individuals from 300 to 700 euros and for managers of legal entities or other responsible persons – from 600 to one 1.2 thousand euros.

The law also provides for the display of prohibited symbols.

Klaipėda police will check the places of gatherings

In Klaipėda, the so-called Victory Day used to be actively celebrated, Russian-speakers gathered in the Sculpture Park in the center of the city, laid flowers at the former memorial to Soviet soldiers.

Klaipėda County Police representative Andromeda Grauslienė told Eltai that police officers will patrol, they will check possible places of gatherings.

“Peacefully coming and laying flowers is definitely not prohibited,” said the police spokeswoman.

“I haven’t heard anything that something is being organized, as far as I know, no events have been planned, no requests for the organization of the event have been submitted to the municipality. I will mention the 8th or 9th of May, I will just mention it, I will remember my grandfather and that’s it. No demonstration is planned. For me personally, it was always a personal celebration, there was no need to go to the square and listen to songs, it was a personal celebration. My grandfather said that the most important thing is that there is no war in this world, so this holiday was not personal to me. For me, any war is unacceptable,” Sergejus Mazūga, a member of the Klaipėda City Municipal Council, told Elta.

The Department of State Security (VSD) announced on Tuesday that it does not exclude the possibility of provocations in Lithuania on May 9, when Russian communities commemorate the day of victory over Nazi Germany.

“Last year, monuments dedicated to anti-Soviet resistance in the Baltic countries were purposefully desecrated on the eve of May 9, when Russia celebrates the so-called “Victory Day”. According to the intelligence assessment, in the near future, the probability of similar attacks or provocations against various objects in Lithuania remains high,” reads the statement issued by the Ministry of Defense on Tuesday.

The department calls for immediate reporting of advertisements noticed on social networks offering financial rewards for vandalism and violations of other legal acts in Lithuania.

ELTA reminds that Russia and Russian communities celebrate Victory Day over Nazi Germany on May 9. At that time, Europe commemorates the end of the Second World War a day earlier, on May 8. After the end of the Second World War, Lithuania remained part of the Soviet Union, which occupied it and carried out repressions against the peaceful population.

Last year, on the eve of May 9, the monument of partisan leader Adolfos Ramanauskas-Vanagas was desecrated in Merkina. There was also a report of another attack in the Lazdija district, in the village of Bielėnai – the monument of the partisan leader was not only covered with white paint, but an ax was also found cut into the sculpture.