TALLINN - New protests flared at Tallinn's controversial Bronze Soldier monument at the weekend as hundreds of demonstrators demanded the removal of the Soviet-era memorial.
Violent scuffles erupted as protesters clashed with Russians at the monument at Tonismagi in central Tallinn on May 20.
One demonstrator attempted to hang a noose around the neck of the Bronze Soldier but was chased away, while a Russian-speaking man received a bloody nose as he attempted to interrupt speeches and pull down an Estonian flag.
Late on Saturday night three men were caught vandalising the statue, covering it with blue and white paint.
The fresh scuffles are the latest in a string of demonstrations surrounding the Bronze Soldier, which stands as a memorial for Soviet fighters killed during World War II.
Many Estonians see the statue as a symbol of the beginning of Soviet occupation and want it removed.
A much smaller group of protesters carrying placards attended Tonismagi on May 9, as hundreds of Russians gathered to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the war. On that occasion, the protesters agreed to be removed by police for their safety after they were howled down by the Russian crowd.
A much larger crowd returned on May 20. Police said several hundred people were present, while organizers claimed up to 1000 people took part.
They carried banners and placards denouncing the "Red" monument and calling other Estonians to join their cause.
Speakers told the crowd the monument would one day be dismantled stone-by-stone and moved to the Occupation Museum.
Police reported that most participants were peaceful, however a middle-aged man was detained after allegedly hitting a middle-aged woman. The woman was hit so hard she had to seek emergency medical assistance, a police spokeswoman said.
Aavo Savitch, a protest organizor and Estonian Nationalist Movement member, said the demonstrations were "like a continuation of the singing revolution", the Baltic News Service reported. Organizers said more demonstrations were likely to take place in September, which will mark 62 years since the Soviet army took control of Tallinn.
