SEPTEMBER 7, 2018
In 1944, after the Soviet Union once again occupied the Baltic States and much of Central and Eastern Europe, hundreds of thousands of refugees fled Soviet tyranny by crossing the Baltic Sea to Sweden or walking to Allied occupied Germany. Many of them came to Canada to seek safety in the 1940’s and 50’s, where nearly 200,000 people of Baltic heritage live today.
Soviet terror continued to reign in the Baltic States during the Soviet occupation that lasted until 1991. Throughout Central and Eastern Europe millions were arrested, deported and murdered by Soviet authorities.
Companies such as Walmart and Amazon should be ashamed to promote, and profit from, shirts and other merchandise that glorifies the Soviet regime and the genocide and terror in which it engaged.
The Estonian Central Council in Canada calls on all Canadians to boycott both of these retailers until they cease sales of all items that feature Soviet symbols of repression and hate. We urge all provincial and municipal governments to ban these symbols from being displayed public parks and venues. The Estonian Central Council can brief the executive and management of these retailers about the dark importance of this history to help ensure their understanding and empathy towards the millions of victims of communist crimes.
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For more information: info@estoniancouncil.ca
