Brawl over neo-Nazi flag in Yaroslavl

March 31, 2007 in Yaroslavl at the football match "Shinnik" (Yaroslavl) - "Siberia" (Novosibirsk) there was an incident related to the policemen's attempt to stop the neo-Nazi provocation of the fans.

During the match, a home-made flag with a Celtic cross image was raised in the stands in the crowd of fans, quite rightly attributed by the police guarding the match as a neo-Nazi symbol.

When trying to take the flag away, a fight broke out between the fans and the riot police, as a result of which, as often happens, the police used excessive force. Among the victims, in particular, was a resident of Yaroslavl, Yevgeny Rumyantsev, known to the city police not only because he had already been detained with this flag at one of the previous matches, but also because he was a defendant in several cases related to street violence, and also as one of the participants in the attacks on Hare Krishnas in the center of Yaroslavl (let us recall that the Hare Krishnas, for religious reasons, refused to write statements to the police, and the case was not opened).

Representatives of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate emphasize that the attempt to take away the neo-Nazi symbols was due to the fact that the police were afraid that it would provoke aggressive fans to more serious actions, and not because its demonstration was illegal: "Not under any article of the administrative or Criminal Code is this hits. There was a provocation. We just stopped. The material [apparently meaning paraphernalia - ed. ] collected " . (Indeed, it should be noted that modern legislation considers as an offense only "propaganda and public demonstration of Nazi paraphernalia or symbols or paraphernalia or symbols confusingly similar to Nazi paraphernalia or symbols"... That is, symbols that do not look like a swastika, although frankly readable as neo-Nazi (as in this case), they do not fall into this category.

Recall that at the end of the last football season, a harsh statement was made by the chairman of the RFU, V. Mutko, that football clubs would be severely punished for frank manifestations of neo-Nazism.

The legitimacy of the actions of the police is currently being checked by the city prosecutor's office.

Sources

• Polkovnikov Evgeny. Came with a flag - left with bruises // City TV channel. 2007. April 4.
• He is. Incident at the Shinnik: fan version // THERE.
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