Rally and “gathering” in Khotkovo

On November 4, 2010, in Khotkovo (Moscow region), a rally was held in the city center at an intersection near the Yubileiny cinema, which resulted in the blocking of the road. Among the demands put forward by the participants was the expulsion of illegal migrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus and threats of lynching.

The reason for the rally was a conflict that occurred on October 26 near the Kopeyka store between a group of three residents of Khotkov and two natives from Tajikistan, as a result of which one person died and another was hospitalized with stab wounds. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Moscow Region announced the arrest of the suspects and the filing of charges against them on November 2, 2010.

According to media reports, several hundred people took part in the action. Activists of DPNI and Slavic Power were seen among those gathered.

During the event, an initiative group of 11 people was formed. On November 5, members of the group met with representatives of the city administration and gave police officers a list of addresses where natives of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan live.

However, already on November 5, 2010, natives of Central Asia and the Caucasus left Khotkovo; one of the dormitories where migrant workers lived burned down. And district governments and stores fired “ foreign workers .”

On November 15, 2010 at 16.00, a public “gathering” was held in one of the city schools, bringing together about 150 people, during which a meeting was held with the city leadership. The event was guarded by 46 people from the city police department.

According to media reports, before entering the assembly hall, members of the initiative group discussed the murder that occurred on October 26. “ Regardless of the motives for the fight, the “discussants” agreed that “the Tajiks must be driven out.” Among those gathered were shaven-headed young men wearing scarves with the numbers 1488, which are iconic for neo-Nazis, and symbolizing “14 words and 88 commandments of the White Man.” During the event, they shouted “ something about terror against Russians and black power .”

The participants of the gathering were addressed by the head of the city, Rita Tikhomirova, the deputy head of the government of the Moscow region, Viktor Egerev, and the head of the Sergiev Posad district, Vladimir Korotkov.

The mayor of the city promised to “ continue the course of self-purification of the city ” and invited the residents of Khotkovo to “arrange raids on summer residents who hire illegal migrants to build houses.”

Let us note that the meeting and “people’s gathering” did not take place immediately after the incident, but more than a week after the fight occurred.

Sources

• Tumanov G. Kondopoga grew up in the Moscow region // Gazeta.ru. 2010. November 16.
• Rally in Khotkovo on November 4 // Khotkovo online. 2010. November 9.
• Based on materials from Internet blogs.