Excluding a brief period during World War II. the Soviet Union has retained control of Latvia ever since. The Latvians have always resisted russification. and the United States has never recognized Latvia as a part of Soviet territory. Twice this year Latvians have gathered together to protest Soviet domination. On June 14. 1987. they met in Riga. Latvia. to honor those who fell victim to the Stalin deportations of the 1940s. Another rally. on August 23. protested the signing of the 1939 MolotovRibbentrop Pact. which gave the Soviet Union control over Latvia and the other Baltic republics. This last gathering was disrupted by Governmentorganized violence and arrests.
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deportations