Menorah vandalized in Latvian capital, investigation launched

[Behind the Aegis]

RIGA, Latvia - Vandals damaged a large menorah erected in the Latvian capital for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, police said Thursday.

The vandals toppled the 16-foot menorah early Thursday, breaking some parts made of glass, police spokesman Aigars Berzins said, adding an investigation was launched.

Arkady Sukharenko, the leader of the Jewish community in Latvia, condemned the incident.

"As of now we have no reason to say that the perpetrators were motivated by anti-Semitic beliefs," Sukharenko said through his spokesman Sergey Grodnikov. "For now it looks like an act of hooliganism."

last sentence...

[Ian David]

1. Maybe they're not anti-semitic. Maybe they just oppose Israel's policies

I'm being sarcastic and/or ironic.

[mitchtv]

2. Jews and Gays targeted in this hellhole

keep them out of EU

[barb162]

3. I hope there's a security camera on it now and if the jerks do it

again, they get caught. "The menorah was repaired and re-erected Thursday."

[Orrin_73]

4. Extreme nationalism is on the rise is almost

all of the EU unfortunately.

[IndianaGreen]

5. These are the same people that are now targeting LGBTs

Isn't western-style democracy wonderful?

[IndianaGreen]

6. Latvia and Lithuania have banned same sex marriage

Bigots are always bigots, so a country that denies human rights to LGBTs and women, is very likely to also deny human rights to Jews.

The Baltic nations provided fresh recruits to Hitler's Waffen SS.

Second EU Nation Moves To Ban Gay Marriage

by Malcolm Thornberry, 365Gay.com European Bureau Chief

Posted: December 26, 2005 11:00 am ET

(Vilnius) Lithuania could become the second member of the European Union to ban same-sex marriage.

Irena Degutiene, a member of the conservative Homeland Union Party announced Monday she will begin collecting signatures in January to force the issue to a vote.

Lithuanian law already defines marriage as as union between a man and woman but Degutiene said that isn't enough. She said that Latvia did the right thing last week when it amended its constitution to bar gay marriage.

Degutiene's move has raised concerns by liberal members of Parliament who say it would only alienate the country from the rest of Europe.

Gay activists in Lithuania say they will fight the proposal.

Earlier this month Latvia's Parliament passed a constitutional amendment

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon05/12/122605lithuania.htm