The World - News from Aug. 7, 1988

Former Soviet paratroopers at a reunion in Moscow’s Gorky Park, apparently including some Afghanistan war veterans, fought drunken brawls, stripped off their medals and tried to march on Red Square but were stopped by militiamen, Tass reported. The news agency, denouncing the “mass hooliganism,” said that six militiamen were taken to a hospital after last Tuesday’s clashes with the former soldiers and that 82 people were reported detained. Tass said many of the veterans were already drunk when they began assembling in the park in the morning.