Young nationalists disrupted a solemn St. Petersburg commemoration on Monday of the 60th anniversary of the deportation of the Chechen and Ingush people. Formerly the Soviet Army Day, Feb. 23 is now called The Day of Defenders of the Fatherland. On the same date in 1944 Stalin deported the North Caucasian ethnic groups, allegedly for collaborating with the German invaders during World War II. "It is a tragic day for our country," said Sergei Khakhayev, chairman of the local human rights group Memorial. "We are often told not to spoil the holiday, but how many people know that Army Day was used against the Chechens back in 1944: it was an excuse to gather them together so that they could be put in railway wagons and sent away. Every third person died on the way to exile."
Not everyone in Khakhayev’s modest audience agreed. "Those nations [Chechens and Ingush] shouldn’t exist at all," a young man suddenly shouted during Khakhayev’s speech. He struggled with several companions who prevented him getting closer to the speaker. Some of the youngsters started distributing a nationalist newspaper. The meeting organizers tried to remove the nationalists, but the youngsters resisted, shouting out more insults against Chechens. The organizers asked the police, who were monitoring the meeting, for help. Several people were detained.
| A wonderful time was had by all... |
In Moscow, authorities banned a rally on Lubyanskaya Ploshchad, where another Solovetsky Stone stands in the center in front of the headquarters of the Federal Security Service. However, people still went to the stone to lay flowers and light candles and eventually a political meeting took place that was quickly broken up by the police. Lev Ponomaryov, chairman of the all-Russia movement For Human Rights, was arrested and is due to appear in court on Tuesday, radio station Ekho Moskvy reported. Many speakers at Monday’s meeting expressed serious concern over a recent trend to blame the entire Chechen nation for the actions of a few individual terrorists. They said this trend is growing across Russia and can be seen in St. Petersburg. A bloody vendetta against a particular Caucasian is seen by local nationalists as a successful support of Russian soldiers in Chechnya, they said.
| It's only the Islamist portion of the entire Chechen nation that's causing trouble, except for the non-Islamic portion that's made up of crooks and hard boyz. Since they all look, act, and speak similarly, and since they don't provide programs to tell the players apart, perhaps they should blame the Islamists and the hard boyz for their problems. I'm suffering a sympathy shortage this week. Maybe my shipment from Belgium will get here soon. |
Human rights advocates said they were frustrated both by the appearance of nationalists and the low turnout of people. "Thousands of Russians marched against the war in Iraq last year and look at our tiny, wretched gathering - it is shameful," said Peter Rausch, a member of the Committee For Peace in Chechnya and a representative of the League of Anarchists.
| That makes sense. If anybody's going to identify with Chechnya it'll be the League of Anarchists. I'm not sure it's a recommendation, though... |
"Everyone prefers to turn a blind eye to this problem and just hope to miraculously escape from the next terrorist attack."
| "We should give them what they want. Maybe they'll leave us alone!" |
Yuly Rybakov, a democratic politician and former State Duma deputy, said the Day of Defenders of the Fatherland should not merely be a remembrance day for Red Army soldiers who fought against fascists during the World War II, but also as a memorial day for all soldiers who fought for the independence of their native land.
| Perhaps it should also serve as a reminder of the joys of fascism and a renewal of the dedication to wiping it from the face of the earth... |
Khakhayev said aggression and intolerance against Caucasians has become widespread. "Didn’t you all hear that young man shouting that all Chechens must die," he said. "There are dozens of nationalist groups in town that hold the same views. But imperial ambitions in any country anywhere in the world only result in mass killings, on both sides." At least one voice at the meeting was strictly self-critical. "When we hear about another blast in Moscow or elsewhere and begin to feel hatred against Chechens growing inside our heart, we should suppress it - and if everyone wins this little battle with themselves, then there will be more peace in the country," said Pavel Viktorov, who edits a pacifist newspaper in St. Petersburg.
| "Group hug, everyone!... No, not the dead guys." |
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