A fiercely contested monument commemorating Estonians who fought for Nazi Germany during World War II has been removed by the Estonian government. In a statement, it said the monument had damaged the country's image. Financed by Estonian war veterans and denounced by Russia and Jewish groups who said it glorified Nazi Germany and its notorious SS units, the monument was removed by police who had to use tear gas and dogs to keep angry protesters away. An official said that under Estonian law, the government would now claim legal ownership of the monument.