Clashes broke out in the Spanish city of Barcelona after several protesters attempted to disrupt a Victory Day commemoration marking the 81st anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat.
Victory Day is celebrated annually in Russia and most former Soviet republics on May 9 with military parades and Immortal Regiment marches, during which participants carry photographs of relatives who fought in World War II.
Footage filmed in Barcelona on Saturday showed people carrying Russian and Soviet flags as they peacefully gathered for the event before a counter-protester carrying a black-and-white banner approached the crowd, shouting derogatory slogans.
The provocation escalated into a physical altercation, after which the protesters fled before police intervened. The procession later continued through the city, with patriotic songs playing in the background.
“It is a very important day for our people. It is a day of remembrance for our grandparents who died during World War II,” one participant said.
“This day means a lot – survival for us Slavs, Russians, Ukrainians, and most people of the world,” another added.
The Immortal Regiment was first held in the Siberian city of Tomsk in 2012 and quickly spread across Russia and other countries. The initiative has since become popular among Russian-speaking communities living abroad.
This year, commemorative events took place in several countries, including India, Bangladesh, Kuwait, China, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, the US, and multiple cities across the EU.
In Geneva, members of the Ukrainian community wrapped in national flags attempted to interfere with the celebration by shouting nationalist slogans and singing Ukrainian songs near the closing stages of the event.
A similar incident took place in Amsterdam during an Immortal Regiment march on May 2, when several Ukrainian nationals attempted to disrupt the procession by shouting anti-Russian slogans while carrying placards splashed with red paint.
Around 27 million Soviet citizens died during World War II, one of the highest death tolls suffered by any nation in the conflict. Moscow repeatedly accused the US and EU member states of distorting historical truth and belittling the crucial role of the Soviet Union.
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