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Activists of various nationalist parties carry torches and a portrait of Stepan Bandera during a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. The rally was organized to mark the birth anniversary of Stepan Bandera, founder of a rebel army that fought against the Soviet regime and who was assassinated in Germany in 1959. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

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Activists of various nationalist parties carry torches during a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. The rally was organized to mark the birth anniversary of Stepan Bandera, founder of a rebel army that fought against the Soviet regime and who was assassinated in Germany in 1959. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

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Activists of various nationalist parties carry torches, portrait of Stepan Bandera and banner reads 'Our land - our heroes' during a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. The rally was organized to mark the birth anniversary of Stepan Bandera, founder of a rebel army that fought against the Soviet regime and who was assassinated in Germany in 1959. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

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Activists of various nationalist parties play drums and carry torches during a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. The rally was organized to mark the birth anniversary of Stepan Bandera, founder of a rebel army that fought against the Soviet regime and who was assassinated in Germany in 1959. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

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Activists of various nationalist parties carry flag and torches during a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. The rally was organized to mark the birth anniversary of Stepan Bandera, founder of a rebel army that fought against the Soviet regime and who was assassinated in Germany in 1959. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Torchlight parade in Kyiv honors Nazi-linked nationalist

By Associated Press AP

PUBLISHED 2:22 PM ET Jan. 01, 2020

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian far-right supporters have held a torchlight procession in the capital to mark the birthday of a nationalist leader who sided with the Nazis during part of World War II.

The Wednesday march in Kyiv by about 1,000 far-right supporters commemorated the 111th birthday of Stepan Bandera, lauded by nationalists as a hero.

Bandera was a leader of Ukraine's nationalist movement, which included an insurgent army that for one period during the war sided with the Nazis.

Jewish groups have linked Bandera's followers to the mass murders of Jews. Ukrainian Police said the march ended peacefully and there were no arrests.