Riot police foil Moscow march
2006-11-04 16:19
Moscow - Heavily armed riot police foiled
attempts by Russian nationalists to hold a banned march in
Moscow on Saturday, making scores of arrests.
Far-right leaders had called for a "Russian March" through
the capital and other big cities on Saturday's national unity
day holiday to protest against illegal immigration and trumpet
the supremacy of Russian traditions.
Authorities banned the marches in Moscow and most other
cities, fearing a repeat of last year's scenes when neo-Nazis
paraded through the capital chanting racist slogans.
They
allowed only smaller static meetings away from town centres.
"The situation is calm," Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov told
reporters on Saturday afternoon. "We ... will not tolerate any
chauvinism or fascism in Moscow."
In the largest nationalist demonstration in the Russian
capital, about 2 000 far-right demonstrators gathered at the
Devichye Pole park for an officially sanctioned meeting under
the gaze of police in full body armour.
The nationalists waved old Tsarist flags and chanted "Glory
to Russia" as a police helicopter buzzed overhead.
Police bundled some of the park demonstrators into vans and
drove them away - alleging provocative behaviour - but there was
no violence, Reuters reporters at the scene said.
A Moscow police spokesperson was unable to give total figures
for arrests.
Russian news agency Interfax reported 37 people were in custody
and rival agency RIA-Novosti said 233 people had been detained.
The "Russian March" organisers claimed on their website
www.rossija.info that 500 demonstrators had been arrested.
Racist violence
Non-governmental organisations have long reported that racist violence is growing in Russia, fuelled by poverty and
joblessness in poorer regions and resentment at the loss of
Russian power after the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Anti-Semitic slogans were evident at the Moscow rally.
In St Petersburg, police used tear gas to break up a fight
between nationalists and left-wingers. About 20 people were
arrested, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
In Russia's eastern port of Vladivostok, a group of
far-rightists raised their arms in Nazi salutes as they posed
for photographs at a parade ground.
About 200 protesters
marched through the city with banners saying "No Integration,
Just Deportation".
Skinheads also marched in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk
waving banners. Most covered their faces to prevent
identification.
- Reuters