Series of attacks in Yoshkar-Ola

During the summer months, the Mari El capital Yoshkar-Ola saw a series of attacks on merchants native to the Caucasus who work in the city's mini-markets. According to official information, two people were injured, according to unofficial information, the number of victims, including women and children, is approaching four dozen.

Despite the fact that the official version of the incidents is a "dispute between business entities", eyewitnesses note that on the eve of all the attacks, anti-Caucasian and neo-Nazi graffiti appeared near the mini-markets (slogans "Down with black immigrants", "Death to Khacham", "Suitcase - station - Caucasus", stylized sign "SS", swastikas, etc.). Part of the graffiti - "author's" - belongs to the BS-12 group, which is suspected of being involved in a number of nationalist attacks .

Simultaneously with the official comments about the "economic" nature of the conflicts, from the beginning of August, a series of reports were published in the republican media, in which they reported on the poor quality of goods sold in mini-markets. In general, the description of the Sanepidnadzor raids was given neutrally, and sometimes even idyllicly sympathetically ( "grandmothers with berries and mushrooms"; "understanding the difficult situation of the young lady, the administration officials promised to help her get a place in the Central Market, and arrange a kindergarten for the child") . The only ethnically colored fragment of these publications can be considered the following: "On the same day, scales, counters, weights without samples, watermelons, melons are confiscated from the representatives of the Caucasian nationality from the market at the GSB ... Sellers call somewhere, swear, threaten with reprisal. "

According to unofficial data, pressure is being exerted on the victims of the latest incident (which most likely took place in early August, since a TV report about the "economic dispute" was broadcast on Mari TV on August 5): local officials demand that they sign a letter of appeal , which states that there was no pogrom.

Inc. inf.

Sources

• Kolina Olga. Trade but know your place // MK in Mari El. 2006. August 2-9.