Ultra-nationalists and anti-fascists have celebrated the Day of National Unity

On 4 November 2006, rallies and marches took place in a number of Russian cities to celebrate the Day of National Unity; these actions were organized by right-wing radical groups under a collective name of Russian March. To remind, overall coordination of these events originally planned in 7 Russian cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Syktyvkar, Chita, Irkutsk, and Volgograd), was performed by activists of the Movement against Illegal Immigration (DPNI).

In end-October and early November, a number of regions banned the march, which did not stop those willing to participate, although the geography of the march changed significantly as a result. Nationalist events of some kind were held in 12 Russian cities, and four events were prevented due to police interference.

Moscow

The biggest event was held in Moscow. After DPNI attempted to blackmail the Moscow authorities and the administration of the Moscow metro by threatening to hold the march "underground," law enforcement authorities took unprecedented measures of security and pressure against the right-wing radicals. As a result, it was announced on 3 November that the marchers would join the permitted rally in the Devichye Pole organized by Sergey Baburin's Popular Will Party.

The attendance of the rally held between noon and 1 p.m. totaled about one thousand. Claims by right-wing radicals that the march attracted around 7,000 participants are not true (see, for example, photos at Lenta.Ru website). The meeting participants included at least seven members of the State Duma (S.Baburin, V.Alksnis, I.Saveyeva, N.Kuryanovich, D.Rogozin, A.Saveyev, A.Makashov) and about a dozen right-wing radical groups and organizations (including DPNI, the National Imperial Party of Russia, the Russian All-National Union, Kvachkov Support Group, Pamyat, the Russian Order, the National Union, etc.). For some reason, participants included representatives of the PORTOS group, having nothing to do with right-wing radicals.

Baburin allowed DPNI and other "marchers" to participate in his rally, but limited the display of DPNI symbols, and at the close of the event Baburin made an unsuccessful attempt to deny the floor to DPNI leader A.Potkin (Belov).

Notably, for the first time in his career as DPNI leader, Belov was publicly anti-Semitic. His statement at the meeting was extremely emotional: he was yelling obscenities, targeting in particular presidential aide Vladislav Surkov.

As soon as the rally was over, right-wing radicals were escorted by police (marched?) to the nearest metro station along the empty Leo Tolstoy Street, yelling ethnocentric and Nazi slogans. Fighting began outside the metro station, and a large group of skinheads were arrested as a result.

In addition to the rally in Devichye Pole, at 2 p.m. in Slavyanskaya Square, an "alternative" nationalist-patriot rally was organized by a group of Christian Orthodox fundamentalist groups that had split from the Russian March organizing committee a week before - including the Union of Russian Orthodox Citizens, the Union of Russian Gonfalon Carriers, the Popular Council, etc. - a total of around 200 participants. There was no fighting or similar incidents.

Some radical neo-Nazi groups had discouraged their supporters from joining the march, urging them instead to confront an anti-fascist rally in Bolotnaya Square "to engage them in debates." The radicals first came to the Devichye Pole anyway, and then went to Bolotnaya. However, a strong police cordon prevented them from attacking anyone, and as soon as they attempted to chant their slogans, riot police attacked and dispersed the skinheads.

By official data, a total of 559 people were arrested by police on 4 November; most of them - judging by the context of the reports - were right-wing radical activists. Virtually all of them were released by the end of the afternoon. A total of 156 people face charges for various administrative offences.

The arrests substantially limited the right-wing radical activity - in particular, the symbols and the leader of the Slav Union were not visible, even though they were co-organizers of the Russian March. Similarly, Igor Artyomov was nowhere to be seen, although the symbols of his RONS group were there.

St. Petersburg

Although the march was banned in St. Petersburg (as an alternatives, the organizers were advised to hold a rally outside the Kirov Stadium), around 200 right-wing radicals marched from the bookstore - the site where Timur Kacharava was killed - along the Nevsky, escorted by riot police (OMON); the police did not interfere with the non-sanctioned march.

As a result, a crowd of neo-Nazi (groups which announced their participation in the march included DPNI, the Freedom Party, the National Socialist Society, Slav Union, and a number of smaller neo-Nazi groupings) encountered a group of about 50 radical anti-fascists who blocked their way, and fighting started. Police used teargas to disperse the fighters. A total of 118 people were delivered to the Central District Police Station in St. Petersburg. Most of them were released by late afternoon, and 18 people face trial by the magistrate.

Later, right-wing radicals met outside the Kazan Cathedral and held a rally yelling ethnocentric, nationalist and neo-Nazi slogans.

Besides, rallies and "marches" were held in a number of Russian cities.

Two marches were held in Vladivostok. The first march gathering around 200 participants was organized by the local chapter of DPNI (joined by the Russian Club and RNE). The second, banned march was organized by the Slav Union chapter led by former policeman Dmitry Dmitriyev, whom the local DPNI labeled "agent provocateur." The rally brought together less than three dozen people.

The marches in Irkutsk and Chita, by various estimates, gathered between 100 and 200 participants. The events were initiated by leaders of the local Union of Russian People chapter Alexander Turik (Irkutsk) and Alexander Yaremenko (Chita).

In Novosibirsk, although the march was banned by local authorities, it gathered around 250 participants including nationalists from Tomsk, as well as Novosibirsk (most of them affiliated with DPNI). The main organizer of the event was city councilor Alexander Lulko. About two dozen marchers were arrested for various offences.

A rally in Krasnoyarsk brought together around a hundred people, of whom 70 were arrested by police afterwards.

In Stavropol, an event was organized by leader of the Union of Stavropol Slav Communities (associated with DPNI and RONS) Vladimir Nesterov and gathered around 400 people (right-wing radicals claimed there were five thousand, but admitted that order was maintained by just 100 police).

The march in Kaliningrad headed by well-known local anti-Semitist, chairman of the National and Cultural Autonomy of Ethnic Russians (local branch) Vladimir Levchenko (currently facing trial for incitation of ethnic hatred) gathered approximately two dozen participants.

In Maikop, around 150 people joined a march organized by the Slav Union of Adygeya; marchers included right-wing radicals from Krasnodar and their "colleagues" from Armavir who were not allowed to march in their city. They marched along the central street of Adygeya capital under pouring rain, and then peacefully dispersed.

In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, a nationalist march organized by the local Slav Union (no relation to D. Dyomuskin's group of the same name) led by Alexander Marisov gathered approximately two dozen participants. LDPR initially declared its intention to take part in the march, but then refused to participate. The participants soon joined the "official" crowd of the United Russia Party and the Young Guard who watched street festivities while celebrating the national holiday.

In Chelyabinsk, around 40-50 people joined a nationalist rally. Activists of the local Young Guard chapter approached the site to :watch; the marchers. They watched with their banners folded - i.e. the Young Guard's action was not officially sanctioned, as opposed to the :patriotic; event. The groups faced each other for a while, then dispersed. Three active national patriots were stopped by police for minor offences (including two organizers and a visiting activist from Perm, where the march was banned).

In Blagoveschensk and Syktyvkar, no rally was held, because participants did not show up, while the organizers were detained by police (to remind, both organizers - Igor Terekhov from Blagoveschensk and Yuri Yekishev from Syktyvkar - face trial for incitation of ethnic hatred).

The march in Nizhny Novgorod did not take place, because the police had arrested virtually everyone who came (27 DPNI activists).

In Volgograd, the march was stopped by police on legitimate grounds: the marchers chose a different route from what had been permitted.

The anti-fascist rally in Moscow

On 4 November 2006, in Bolotnaya Square in Moscow, an anti-fascist rally was organized by the Russian Anti-fascist Front (RAF), also involving the left-wing anti-fascist front. By various estimates, the rally was attended by 700 to 800 people.

Its beginning was marked by a neo-Nazi provocation, which did not surprise either the organizers or the riot police (OMON). A neo-Nazi coalition had urged their supporters in advance to come to Bolotnaya Square obviously suggesting violent confrontation. However, as soon as neo-Nazi - more than a hundred - gathered on the opposite bank of Obvodnoy Canal and started raising their arms in a Nazi greeting, they were immediately surrounded by riot police and herded into bystreets, and a number of participants were arrested.

Then the police blocked access to the antifascist rally, so that some radical anti-fascists (who, admittedly, looked and behaved almost like skinheads) were not allowed to join the rally. The police, however, overdid it and also denied access to some other people who did not look like skinheads at all.

The rally was addressed by well-known human rights defenders, activists of civil society organizations and political parties, and workers of culture.

The participants adopted a resolution expressing their concern over the government's failure to counteract the spread of neo-Nazi and xenophobic sentiments in the country, and urging civil society forces to come together against the fascist threat.

There were no attacks or other negative incidents after the event, unlike the anti-fascist rally last year. However, a group of activists from the Vanguard of Red Youth were escorted by police to the metro station to avoid potential attacks by neo-Nazi.