Supporters of the "Night Wolves" held a "memorial event" in Prague, met by activists with Ukrainian flags
Kyiv • UNN
In Prague, supporters of the "Night Wolves" motorcycle club honored the memory of soldiers at the Olšany Cemetery. They were met by activists with flags of Ukraine and the EU.
In Prague, supporters of the "Night Wolves" "honored" the memory of the fallen as part of the "Roads of Victory" campaign; they were met by opponents with Ukrainian flags, UNN reports, citing Radio Prague.
Details
Several dozen supporters of the Russian motorcycle club "Night Wolves" gathered at the Olšany Cemetery on May 8 to honor the memory of Soviet and Czechoslovak soldiers who died during World War II. The event took place as part of the annual "Roads of Victory" motorcycle rally organized by the club's European division.
As in previous years, opponents of the motorcycle club gathered at the entrance to the cemetery. They held flags of Ukraine and the European Union, whistled, and shouted slogans against the participants of the event. Banners carried inscriptions criticizing Russia and its supporters. Verbal disputes and exchanges of offensive gestures occurred between the two groups.
Police officers and special conflict prevention teams monitored the order. Among the participants was Jaroslav Foldyna, a member of parliament from the SPD party, as well as former MP Jiří Kobza. Supporters of the club laid flowers at the memorial to Czechoslovak soldiers and then proceeded to the graves of Red Army soldiers.
The "Night Wolves" motorcycle club is known for its close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian members of the club were banned from entering EU countries, and the movement's leader, Alexander Zaldostanov, is under US and EU sanctions for supporting the annexation of Crimea.