„Matrozen zijn als zwijnen”

“Sailors are like pigs”

The mayor of the Latvian town of Ventspils complained to the NATO about the behaviour of visiting soldiers. “NATO sailors have behaved like pigs”, says Aivars Lembergs. ”The soldiers drank and urinated in public and bothered women.” They also have picked flowers from public parks and given them to prostitutes. “The police have issued more tickets in the last weekend than during a recent festival, when it was much busier in the city.”
In a bar brawl on Saturday night a twenty-one year old Dutch sailor got a head injury. He is in intensive care at the hospital. Lembergs: “Undoubtably residents have tried to protect women against the sailors.” The Dutchman is part of the crew of the minesweeper Makkum, which takes part in a NATO operation. The ship will remain in the harbour.

Soldiers drinking, whatever next? And giving flowers to prostitutes can be considered as a nice thing, or is the local currency flowers?