This calls for a divorce. When citizens of one country start to divide into "real" citizens and "others", there is a problem. I wonder how many of these daring signs would ever show up on people's cars, if they are not treated badly and have the need to be defiant? If they just got the citizenship, like anybody else after the independence, they and their kids would have long time ago found their place in the new society, and accepted the changes. However, for as long as the persecution lasts, they are going to remain defiant. If "real" Latvians cannot accept these folks, but wants to "reform" them by bashing them into submission, they are acting as stubborn partners heading for a divorce --- while still insisting that the "others" should change, not them. So, a civilized divorce is much better. Two countries are better then a disfunctional one.

Witch-hunts based on a display of non-provocative Russian (or any other) symbols on cars is foolish. But the frustrations underlying such actions are understandable. Soviet Russians invaded the Baltics, destroyed their sovereignty, illegally overflooded them with Russian colonists who had interest in assimilating with the local populations, but whose purpose was to reduce Estonians and Latvians to a minority in their own lands in an effort to render restoration of independence impossible, and to destroy their countries socially and culturally just as Moscow already had done politically. The foreigners proceeded to relentlessly russify those countries, with the full weight of the Kremlin terror apparatus behind them. Post-Soviet Russia repeats Stalin’s damnable lie that the Baltics freely and legally joined the SU. Moscow thus asserts that Russian colonists had every right to destroy the Baltics, and that those who remain have an absolute and automatic right to Estonian and Latvian citizenship by mere virtue of the fact that they’re there. In other words, Stalin’s aim culturally destroying those countries can proceed. Seeking citizenship means that one wishes to embrace the values of the country whose citizen he wishes to be. It does not mean that one seeks to impose the values and standards, the language and culture and ways of a foreign country. This is something that many Russians in the Baltics seem not to understand, and seem affronted when it is pointed out to them. Moscow also pretends it doesn’t understand. RT is wrong in saying that people in Latvia cannot get citizenship because they speak Russian. They cannot get citizenship if they choose not to learn Latvian. This applies as much to Russians in Latvia as to people of any other nationality. RT is also remiss in not running an article telling how cars in Estonia displaying Estonian badges have been vandalised, presumably neither by Estonians nor Latvians.

In my previous post, the first sentence of the second paragraph should have read, "Russian colonists who had NO interest in assimilating..."

Bianca wonders what would have happened if Russians “they just got the citizenship, like anybody else after the independence?” That’s exactly what did happen, Bianca. Anyone who was a citizen of sovereign Estonia or Latvia in 1939, and their descendants, were granted automatic citizenship when the Soviet occupation of those countries ended in 1991. This included Russians. Anyone else could apply for citizenship through standard naturalization. This again applies equally to everyone, but only the Russians complain, because they are the only ones who felt they already owned Latvia, and who seem astonished when told that they don’t. Calling this a “persecution” is absolutely ridiculous, Bianca, unless it’s persecution of Latvians that you’re referring to. Saying that someone or another is trying to “bash” someone else “into submission” is no less ridiculous. Citizenship is offered to all foreigners on equal terns, and based on the same standard requirements as apply anywhere in the world. If foreigners don’t want to take citizenship, they don’t have to, and most can continue to live there and access all the same social services as anyone else. But no foreigner has the right to impose foreign values onto Latvia, just as no foreigner has the right to impose foreign values onto Russia. As to what would have resulted if automatic citizenship would have been granted to foreigners in Latvia, whose native population in 1991 had been reduced to somewhere around 55% by illegal colonisation, and in Estonia where it had been reduced to about 62%, the answer is simple: Estonian and Latvian citizenship would have become meaningless, with huge numbers of people acquiring it who did not speak the language of those lands, who knew nothing of their culture and ways and cared even less. In short, Stalin’s plan to permanently destroy Estonia and Latvia would have become reality, with Estonia’s and Latvia’s own governments driving the final nail into the coffin.

Latvia for Latvians. Russians should leave the Baltics and return to mother Russia. Russian migrants in the Baltic states, are disloyal and make no effort to assimilate. Looks at the disgraceful and scandalous behaviour of Russians in Estonia in April 2007, when Russian mobs rioted and looted Tallin.

Bianca, Well Said, this is just more rediculous racist nonsense from the Latvians, they simply cannot grasp the concept of a single people and nation, they always go on the purity path, a path they also followed in recent history, and one as a nation they cannot give up on. But remember this is not Latvia sitting in isolation, this is an EU member state. So the EU must face up to the fact that it has deep racism acting within its borders, that it has deep descrimination acting within its borders. The longer the EU tolerates such disregard for people,s rights within its borders, the less it will have any moral ground from which to talk from. Because at the moment the EU is allowing deep entrenched racism to flourish. As it is so visible, if it is not dealt with, then it is easy to draw the conclusion, that the EU supports it.

To Marzipan6 and Richard Littlejohn, You are lucky you are dealing with Russia regarding your country’s sovereignty as you country is still sovereign state with no veto power of Russian minorities to block any legislation unfavourable to them in the Parliament. Let me tell you how it feels dealing with famous Americans. I am from Macedonia and in Macedonia we have about 17% Albanian ethnic minority, which prior to WW2 they were only 2%. Fallowing the Arachinovo siege mostly populated by ethnic Albanians, when Albanian Gorillas dug themselves in trenches to bombard the capital Skopje few km away, armed and trained by US Marines, Macedonians were forced to sigh the so called Ohrid Peace Treaty with the Albanian minority giving them the power to rule over 2 large towns populated largely by Macedonians apart from the provinces and other towns they dominate and a veto power to block any Parliament legislation unfavourable to them. With this peace treaty Macedonia lost its sovereignty and as you are aware with our struggle with Greece for the name of Macedonia, Albanians minority are telling us now they are losing their patience with us and if we don’t find solution quick to the problem they will proclaim independence. How does this sound to you with double standards in the World we live in. Mind you, Kosovo was populated only 20% by ethnic Albanians prior to WW2 and at present they are 80%. Does that give Serbia the right to do to Albanians what you are doing to Russians in your country?

It has always been difficult for big empires to sever the umbilical cords that connect them to current and former subserviant states. The british empire struggled until the cords were permanently cut. Russia will have to deal with this reality or hate and discontent will continue for decades. Just cut them loose and move on. Russia will have a better outcome than the English, because England is left with nothing but the small island homeland. It was once the world's largest empire that the sun never set upon. Russia is still the world's biggest country.

It is not helpful to think that this is a black and white issue. Latvian and Russian languages are mashed together in daily life, intermarriages have occurred and in the course of every normal day there seems to be very little conflict unless it is stirred up by the Kremlin or the extreme right wing Latvians. But given the countries history it cannot be argued that displaying Russian and particularly Soviet symbols is not a deliberate provocation and a slap in the face that deserves to be answered lest Russians think that nothing has changed since the collapse of the USSR. Displaying such symbols is after all against Latvian law. Think about what these symbols really mean when you take the train past Tornakalns into Riga and you view the cattle car that was of the type used to force move Latvians to Siberia. Latvians need to be vigilant and Russians need to learn the language and stop trying to wedge thoughts of a failed empire into a sovereign country.

If I as a Norwegian man put Norwegian flag on my car and outside my house. Will Latvian facist threating me to??? I have live in Latvia for 7 years no and what I learn is that many Latvian are normal people ho have a normal and good view on Russian people. Most of them understand and specially in this time that they need Russia to get on there feet again. The biggest problem is ultra nasjonalist and the facist people ho live her. In my view they have a intelligens leevel wich are fare behind odder people. There self confidence is among the lowest in Europe. Ordinery and normal Latvian are good people ho dont care about situation like this. They wont to live in peace and be friends with people no matter wich etnic background they have. We should just hope that these facist never get the power in the Latvia. If they do it will meen that Latvia will excist as a country and the Latvian people will suffer a very bad situation.

Riga, Well said! Regarding all the dwellers in the past. You are just that. dwelers in the past. You can no more target Russian decendants for the past, than you could target a man or woman for anything their parents did. there is no excuse for the racism in Latvia, no excuse at all. We all have the cards we are given. The job of Latvian politicians was to make a good strong unified country. They could have done that by realising the real situation they have, and that is that a large part of their poulation speak Russian and have Russian cultural roots. There are a host of countries across Europe that embrace a multilingial heritage and past. It is Latvia that needs to get used to it and stamp out racism. It is totally unaceptable, in is intolerable and has simply to be understood for what it is illegal racism. No civilised person is going to accept the lame historical excuses, they see this for what it is is pure racism.

CountCash writes, “This is just more ridiculous racist nonsense from the Latvians, they simply cannot grasp the concept of a single people and nation, they always go on the purity path…” It is not Latvians who cannot grasp the concept of a single people and nation, but Latvia’s Soviet-era Russian colonists. They insist that they should have full citizenship rights without bothering to make any commitment to integrate with the values and culture of the country so that Latvians would indeed be a single people. They do not even want to learn the language of the land; they don’t care to interface with Latvians, and demand that if Latvians want anything to do with them, that they should learn Russian. In short, they want to maintain the cultural apartheid that Soviet rule established and that its terror organs enforced. Even before 1940, Latvia had a significant Russian minority, and ethnic purity has never been a particular Latvian concern. Those people had Latvian citizenship, which was automatically restored to them and their descencants after 1991. Your characterising Latvia with having some kind of racial hang-ups is a sad nonsense. CountCash also takes a passing shot at Latvians who participated in German war crimes. It is true, some did. It is also true that their actions are a source of shame to Latvia’s government, which has apologised many times for this, and which has officially participated in solemn ceremonies of remembrance and reconciliation with Nazi victims. CountCash, when will the Russian government apologise for crimes that Russians committed against Latvians and their Baltic neighbours under the Soviet flag? When will high officials from the Kremlin participate with the Baltics in ceremonies of remembrance and reconciliation? And if they haven’t and won’t, is it appropriate for you as a Russian to be accusing others?

I don't believe it! CountCash just roundly criticised "dwellers of the past". Has he taken a real good look and the license plate on the car illustrating the RT story? Driving around with "CCCP" as your license plate not only indicates that the the car owner is most definitely stuck in the past, but also, that independent Latvia shouldn't even exist today. Latvian traffic authorities issues that license plate, presumably because the motorist requested it. I wonder would traffic authorities in Moscow or St Pete issue the license plate, "Third Reich" on request? I doubt that Russian authorities would be quite as liberal as the the Latvian ones, whom everyone is busy criticizing. Wouldn't you agree, CountCash?

@ stole what struggle do you have with Greece, wake up man We Greeks just don't want you Slavs from Skopje stealing are history that all. as far as immigration its up to a country to decide how many immigrants it should let in and no one else, look what happen to kosovo, the communist regime of Yugoslavia let in freely Albanians move in from Albania because they wanted to escape the poverty there at the same time large parts of the ethnic Serbs moving to Serbia for better paying jobs switching the ethnic balance, how did it end up, by Serbs paying a dear price loosing there historical lands..........i am going to be looking were i can purchase the st George ribbon out of respect to the WW2 veterans, You Russians should think for just one second what would have happen to you and your country if the fascists had won.

Riga and Count Cash, well said. It is the blind nationalistic hate that does not see the most obvious, and simple solutions. If Baltics gave citizenship to people who lived in the country following their independence, the issue would have died down long time ago. Most people, following the break up of the Soviet Union, had their minds made up as to where they belong. Many Russians, just like other nationalities lived there for generations. And they very naturally wanted to stay. Family ties, friends, homes, jobs, businesses, farmlands --- the heretage that ties generations. But by treating them as "foreigners", Baltic states made a serious mistake. In their nationalistic fervor, they assumed that the large number of Russians was going to dilute their nation. But what they failed to understand, the opposite would have been true. By gaining citizenship with dignity, the new citizens would have focused on their own personal affairs. Their children would have no reason to feel different, and the public school system would provide the path to integration. These would have been by now solid citizens, focused on their national interest --- like anybody else. The nationalists are always suspicious of this process. They insist on purity, and in process perpetuate the divisions among generations. The damage is lasting, and obvious. Yet, there is hope. There are enough people on both sides that are trying to ride this nonsense, and are being positive and constructive. The more the nationalists insist on their supremacy, the more they will incite the defiance among Russians. If Latvia does not contain the racist Latvian national outbursts in public, and does not insist on civil discourse, Latvia cannot hope that the incidents of defiance will diminish.

Marzipan6, I recommend that you carefully read what Stole wrote. And if you also analyze what has been done to Bosnia and what transpired in Croatia --- that may give pause to your single-track thinking. A few months ago, EU insisted on the change to Serbian province of Voivodina. It consisted of the Province getting its own government, transfer of ownership of state owned enterprises on "their" territory under their jurisdiction, rights to their judiciary and cultural organization, and rights to enter into various inter-regional agreements with other EU regions. Basically, a mini-state within a State. And why? Even though Serbs are the majority in the Province, there are other nationalities that would prefer to have a greater degree of decentralization from the central government. These are mostly Hungarian, Romanian and Croatian minorities. Even though, these minorities have always had the rights to their own language, had a state-paid radio stations and newspapers in their own language for decades, that was not enough. Now, they want also special local governance in local governments where they consitute the majority. And this is all OK. By these rules, Russians in Latvia would by now have their own mini-state, with rights to international agreements, their judiciary, local governance and the rest. You see, majority or minority --- it just does not matter. When foreign powers decide to favor someone, they can make anyone a favorite, and others kicked out, dispossessed or killed. Without a nary word from the "international community" and their lapdog "free" media. This is how it really goes. Do not live with you blindfolds. You are very, very, very lucky to be dealing with Russia. You just do not know how lucky you are. You are pushing your luck, and that is never good.

As a member of the EU, the Latvian government is probably in breach of EU Directive 95/46/EC, on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data. EU citizens can complain if any state is failing to follow EU law at europa.eu - I am surprised that Slavic minorities in the Baltic states have not made use of this facility. Note that EU member states are required to uphold other rights, including the prevention of any discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion,......etc. All talk of discriminating against those that don't conform, speak the "right" language or think the "right" way is precisely what Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU forbids. The charter became binding on all EU member states when the Lisbon Treaty came into force on 1st December 2009. If Latvians don't like all this, then they should not have joined the EU.

Officially the Baltic states did join the Soviet Union voluntarily. Anyway, as part of the Soviet Union, Latvians were not in the inferior position as compared to the Russian population and other nations that comprised the USSR. They enjoyed the same rights in all possible respects including the right to be educated in and speak their mother tongue, to say nothing about the right to elect and be elected. There was the Latvian Communist Party with the members galore and this Soviet Republic was ruled by its natives as well. (Let us not forget that the Soviet Union was ruled not only be native Russians, but by representatives of other nations, Stalin is one of the examples.) Thus, when it was worth it Latvians were devoted communists, now other activities may be more lucrative. That definitely does not refer to all Latvians, just to the most adjustable.

Acropolis, If you talk to the people in Macedonia no one is interested in ancient history or any other insolvable disputes not just with Greece but with all of our neighbours. We just want to live in peace with everyone because we are there not by choice but by destiny and if we can’t solve our disagreements between ourselves, others will only take advantage to promote their own agenda on our account. Would you like to see your children growing up in a peaceful environment or in a region full with tension and ongoing wars? I would like the first option as I would like to see my children to live for their country not to die.