In St. Petersburg, anti-fascists attacked DPNI supporters

On September 17, 2006, a mass brawl between anti-fascists and activists of the Movement Against Illegal Migration (DPNI) took place in St. Petersburg, who were holding a sanctioned rally in connection with the events in Kondopoga.

In total, about 30 people participated in the rally organized by DPNI. According to media reports, the protesters were attacked by young people in black masks, there were also about 30 of them in total (the number of attackers is clearly visible in the photographs posted on right-wing radical websites). With cries of "Antifa!" they threw flares, a smoke bomb and several bottles at the protesters and immediately began beating the protesters. According to DPNI activists, the attackers were armed with bottles, sticks and knives.

As a result, three people were stabbed, they were hospitalized in the hospital named after Kuibyshev. At the same time, anti-fascists claim that their comrade was among the wounded.

Several more people received craniocerebral injuries and injuries to their arms and legs. The policemen who were present at the rally called for reinforcements. A total of 21 people were detained. The police refused to give details about the detainees.

"There is no doubt that we were attacked by teenagers from extreme left organizations. It was a paid action designed to provoke us to respond and compromise the movement. But we will act strictly according to the law with the help of law enforcement agencies. And whoever helps to identify the attackers, We will pay 50,000 rubles. We will find them and imprison them ," A. Belov, leader of the DPNI, said.

“I don’t think there are real movements that would be interested in beating these people. All this noise was arranged by the DPNI for the sake of media effect and to increase their quotes,” said Valery Korovin, leader of the right-wing Eurasian Youth Union. (Note that the right march was organized at the request of the ESM and DPNI activists).

Journalists speculate that antifa groups "Red Skinheads", a deeply conspiratorial group of teenagers who have repeatedly attacked nationalists, will be found guilty of the attack on DPNI.

"This attack is a kind of revenge for Kondopoga. For the fact that the DPNI, as the attackers thought, provoked mass demonstrations of nationalists. But the methods of the attackers are unacceptable, they will not benefit the fight against fascism," said Alexei Navalny, deputy chairman of the Moscow branch of Yabloko .

By the evening of September 18, it became known that most of the detainees had been released. Some of them were subjected to an administrative fine from 500 to 1000 rubles. Two detainees were charged under Art. 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (hooliganism).

On September 27, 2007, the Leninsky District Court began hearings on the case of an attack by anti-fascists on a DPNI rally. On the dock - 6 participants in the attack, accused under Art. 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (hooliganism) and Art. 282.1 (organization of an extremist community).

On May 8, 2008, the Leninsky District Court issued a judgment in the case. The court found all six anti-fascist defendants guilty under Article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (hooliganism). As a result, young people were given suspended sentences. Smirnov, Kogotovsky, and Osipov each received one year's suspended sentence, Khorkov and Sidorov received six months' probation, and Malyshev received six months' probation.

One of the defendants, Oleg Smirnov, was also accused under Article 150 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involving a minor in the commission of a crime). According to this article, he was fully acquitted.

Comm. Of course, violent attacks are illegal, regardless of the slogans under which these attacks are undertaken. Neither considerations of revenge nor ideological motives are an excuse. And such attacks against nationalists only strengthen their position in society.

Shevchuk M., Kozenko A. Nationalists are cut off the movement / People in masks attacked DPNI activists. // Kommersant. 2006. September 18.

Sources

• A group of youth attacked the DPNI rally near the Youth Theater // Fontanka.ru. 2006. September 17th.
• Berseneva A., Shergina N. The left took up the beat // New news. 2006. September 19.
• Viktorov P. Anti-fascists, fighters of the invisible rear // Fontanka.ru. 2006. September 22.
• The first session of the trial of anti-fascists // Indymedia - Peter. 2007. September 18.
• "Antifa" admitted - so far only in hooliganism // Polar Star. 2007. September 28.
• Point in the fight between DPNI and antifa at the Youth Theater. Conditional // Fontanka.ru. 2008. May 8.