Around 2,500 members of far-right anti-refugee group ‘Soldiers of Odin,’ the youth wing of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia, and other anti-EU and anti-refugee groups, marched with lit torches in Tallinn on the anniversary of Estonian independence day.
The parade started in Tallinn’s main square where the Estonian soldiers marched together with their NATO allies. Overall, more than a thousand soldiers and nearly a hundred pieces of equipment were present at the square.
The highlight of the parade was the flight of the American Black Hawks and NATO fighter jets above the city.
Anti-immigrant and anti-Islamist groups have mushroomed in Europe, as governments struggle with the unprecedented wave of asylum seekers at a time when rising crime rates, largely blamed on refugees, have contributed to a growing sense of insecurity.
The "Soldiers Of Odin," who take their name from a Norse god, have been patrolling the streets of Finnish cities 24/7 since September 2015, the group's vice president noted. That month Europe was treated to a rude awakening as hundreds of thousands of refugees rushed into Germany and northern Europe.
It was earlier reported that there are approximately 500 "Soldiers Of Odin," who – clad in dark bomber-style jackets – work in two shifts. The group is rapidly expanding to other countries.
