This year, Italian soldiers did not participate in the parade as allied units that had not previously participated were included among the participants.
This year, the parade in Riga, dedicated to the 107th anniversary of the proclamation of Latvia, did not feature a special run of Italian soldiers, or the Bersaljeru run, as allied troops participated in the parade, which did not take place last year.
Since 2017, a multinational NATO brigade has been stationed in Latvia, which includes soldiers from the Italian contingent. For several years, the participation of Italian military personnel in the parade has delighted spectators due to the ancient tradition of the 'Bersaljeru run,' where at the end of the parade, to the sounds of a special march, soldiers in feathered headgear perform a run.
This year, this did not happen. The National Armed Forces (NAF) informed the LETA agency that it is impossible to include all units of allied countries in the parade on November 18, so each year the principle of equal representation of allies is observed. That is, in 2024, units from other allied countries participated, and this year the opportunity to participate in the parade was given to those allies who did not take part in the parade last year.
