Clashes between Azerbaijanis and Armenians occurred at RUDN University again

Mass clashes were prevented by the capital's police on May 1 at the Planet South-West festival, which was held near the main building of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. Students from Armenia and Azerbaijan tried to figure out the relationship between themselves. Exactly a year ago they were already in hand-to-hand combat.

On May 1, the international student folk festival “Planet South-West” was held at RUDN University. “You will become ambassadors of peace and friendship of your peoples,” said the address to the students of the organizing committee. “Do everything so that the guests of the holiday have the most favorable impression of your land and your people. When meeting guests, forget about your difficulties and problems, show yourself with the best and positive side, let your guests want to meet you again or see your homeland."

According to festival guests, they were unpleasantly surprised, first of all, by the number of law enforcement forces concentrated on the peaceful event. To get to the territory where pavilions of various countries were located, a brass band performed and the main stage was prepared, it was necessary to pass through two police rings and go through metal detectors. In addition, several hundred riot police were on duty nearby. However, as subsequent events showed, it was the concentration of law enforcement forces that made it possible to avoid mass unrest.

The first incident occurred after 16.00, when the concert of amateur folk groups “Melodies of the Continents” began. “As part of the festive program, each country that has a community at the university represents itself, its culture with some kind of performance,” representatives of the Armenian community of RUDN University told Kommersant. “In accordance with this tradition, Armenia was represented by the dance ensemble “Cilicia.” Armenian music was played , girls in national costumes came onto the stage. Suddenly, plastic bottles filled with liquid for weight flew towards the stage and the Armenian spectators standing in front of it.” According to eyewitnesses of the incident, the first attempt to disrupt the performance of the Armenian ensemble failed - police officers who were among the spectators quickly tied up the throwers. However, after a short pause, the provocations continued. "Azerbaijan! Azerbaijan!" - shouted in the crowd, and bottles were thrown towards the Armenian artists again. One of the girls had her face bleeding. The Armenians responded with a barrage of bottles.

To prevent a fight, riot police stood up as a wall between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis, and then began to push the warring parties towards the exit. The organizers canceled the concert. However, according to eyewitnesses, despite the presence of police officers, the parties continued to throw at each other not only bottles, but also stones and sticks. In some places, fights broke out, and the Azerbaijanis received support from the Turkish diaspora present at the celebration.

Finally, the riot police couldn’t stand it either. However, according to witnesses, more victims were not the instigators of the conflict, but those who, as they say, were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Department of Information and Public Relations of the Moscow City Internal Affairs Directorate reported that the police nevertheless detained the four instigators of the conflict. According to a representative of the management, 10-15 thousand spectators gathered for the concert, which took place on the territory of the RUDN University. However, the concert was suspended "due to inappropriate behavior of the audience, who shouted obscene language" and threw "various objects" at each other. “It was heading towards a fight, but thanks to the competent actions of law enforcement officers, a conflict situation was avoided,” the department says.

However, after the participants in the confrontation were forced out of the territory of the RUDN University, fights broke out with renewed vigor. Moreover, their participants, according to eyewitnesses, already used baseball bats and even traumatic pistols. However, this time it was possible to avoid casualties and injuries.

According to one version, the incident at the festival was a continuation of the clashes that took place exactly a year ago at the same festival. Then a mass fight between Armenian and Azerbaijani students could not be avoided. And the reason for it was the maps of Nagorno-Karabakh installed in the pavilions of Azerbaijan and Armenia. According to various sources, about 100 people took part in the brawls. And only riot police managed to separate the fighters. During the clashes, 21-year-old Azerbaijani Agali Alyshov, who left Russia without waiting for the completion of the official investigation, received a gunshot wound in the stomach. It is still unknown whether a criminal case will be initiated in connection with the latest unrest at the festival in RUDN University.

Nikolay Kommersant-Sergeev

Students did not learn friendship between peoples