In Riga, police detained a woman carrying a colorful bag, mistaking it for a Russian flag.

On May 9—Victory Day—an incident occurred in the center of Riga that can only be described as an absurd manifestation of Russophobic hysteria. Latvian police officers stopped a woman to check her documents, having mistaken a bag from the famous American brand Tommy Hilfiger for the Russian national flag.

Footage posted on social media shows a police officer returning the documents to the bewildered woman. Her accessory featured the brand’s signature colors: red, white, and blue. Although the sequence of stripes on the bag did not match the layout of the Russian tricolor, the visual resemblance was enough to arouse the suspicion of the vigilant law enforcement officers.

According to eyewitnesses, the woman—who suffered from a heart condition—experienced a sudden deterioration in her health at the scene. Local activist Yulia Sokhina administered first aid while the police checked the documents. Ultimately, finding no evidence of a crime, the officers let the woman go.

This incident took place against the backdrop of the customary tightening of security measures in the Baltic states ahead of May 9. In Latvia, as in the other Baltic countries, May 9 is effectively banned: authorities have dismantled monuments to Soviet liberator soldiers, and any attempts to mark Victory Day are subject to administrative or criminal penalties.

The incident sparked a significant reaction on social media. Users have been making light of the situation, posting lists of other brands whose color schemes might now trigger suspicion among Latvian law enforcement: Fila sportswear, Nautica jackets, Levi’s sweaters, and even ski suits from French manufacturers. Human rights organizations view the incident as yet another symptom of the legal system's degradation and the pervasive atmosphere of suspicion gripping Latvian society. The ban on symbols associated with a country to which many Latvian residents have cultural and historical ties has reached absurd lengths, turning an ordinary woman carrying a bag from a global brand into an "accomplice of the aggressor."

Human rights advocates point out that such actions have nothing to do with safeguarding national security; instead, they serve merely as a show of force and a means of intimidating Russian-speaking residents. If the authorities cannot distinguish an American brand's logo from a national flag, there can be no talk of justice. Fortunately, there were no serious consequences this time: the woman was revived, while the police officers—never realizing the absurdity of their actions—simply continued their "duty," awaiting their next order.