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"Counter-protesters disrupted an Immortal Regiment march in Barcelona on Saturday, sparking scuffles as participants gathered peacefully with Soviet and Russian flags to mark Victory Day. Footage shows marchers assembling for the annual event before a counter-protester began shouting derogatory slogans near the crowd. The confrontation quickly escalated into a brief physical scuffle. Participants at the march described the anniversary as a day of remembrance for relatives who died during the Second World War, and said the event was intended to honour the human cost of the conflict. "It is a very important day for our people. It is a day of remembrance for our grandparents who died during World War II," said one participant. Another marcher criticised what he described as efforts to downplay the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany. "It is natural that they are going to ignore the Soviet victory and start saying things like, 'No, actually the Soviets won because the US got involved,' or 'They were given tanks' - a lie. Obviously, politicians [...] want to ignore the suffering, the losses, the casualties, what this victory meant, in order to take away its value," he added. Victory Day is marked annually in Russia and several other former Soviet states on May 9. This year marks the 81st anniversary of Nazi Germany’s surrender to Allied forces in 1945. Russia says around 27 million Soviet citizens died during the Second World War, one of the heaviest losses suffered by any country in the conflict. Victory in Europe Day is marked in many Western countries on May 8, reflecting the time difference when Germany’s surrender came into effect. On Friday, US President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine from May 9 to 11, including a planned exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. Kiev and Moscow both signalled support for the initiative. Russia had earlier announced a separate Victory Day ceasefire for May 8 and 9. Its Defence Ministry warned of a “retaliatory, massive missile strike on the centre of Kiev” if Ukraine attempted to disrupt the commemorations."
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