Around 250 Latvian nationalists on Tuesday picketed the capital's main government building to protest against European Union plans to resettle refugees from Africa and the Middle East.
The Baltic state has agreed to take in 250 refugees over two years under the EU's controversial plan to distribute 40,000 migrants across the 28-country bloc.
Protesters held up signs with slogans such as "Genocide against white people" and "Stop Islam" at the event organised by extreme right-wing groups, where police arrested one person for causing a public disturbance.
"I don't feel that EU institutions are listening to our concerns about taking in refugees from very different cultures," said member of parliament Raivis Dzintars.
He was one of several members of the nationalist National Alliance -- one of three parties comprising the Latvian government -- to attend the protest.
"Latvia has to show solidarity but if we accept this it gives a green light to people traffickers to send more refugees," he told AFP.
Some had travelled considerable distances to join the demonstration, including 55-year-old Aita from the Estonian capital, Tallinn.
"We Estonians stand together with our brothers. If you let one immigrant in, he will bring his family, then 10, then 100, then 1,000. It's a cancer on Europe."
Passerby Kaspars Zellitis, 32, expressed dismay at the event.
"I think this is sick. I support their right to assemble and express themselves but I find their ideas disgusting," he told AFP.
"They are the real threat to the nation."
Around 250 Latvian nationalists on Tuesday picketed the capital’s main government building to protest against European Union plans to resettle refugees from Africa and the Middle East.
The Baltic state has agreed to take in 250 refugees over two years under the EU’s controversial plan to distribute 40,000 migrants across the 28-country bloc.
Protesters held up signs with slogans such as “Genocide against white people” and “Stop Islam” at the event organised by extreme right-wing groups, where police arrested one person for causing a public disturbance.
“I don’t feel that EU institutions are listening to our concerns about taking in refugees from very different cultures,” said member of parliament Raivis Dzintars.
He was one of several members of the nationalist National Alliance — one of three parties comprising the Latvian government — to attend the protest.
“Latvia has to show solidarity but if we accept this it gives a green light to people traffickers to send more refugees,” he told AFP.
Some had travelled considerable distances to join the demonstration, including 55-year-old Aita from the Estonian capital, Tallinn.
“We Estonians stand together with our brothers. If you let one immigrant in, he will bring his family, then 10, then 100, then 1,000. It’s a cancer on Europe.”
Passerby Kaspars Zellitis, 32, expressed dismay at the event.
“I think this is sick. I support their right to assemble and express themselves but I find their ideas disgusting,” he told AFP.
“They are the real threat to the nation.”
