Archive for September, 2005

Anti-Capitalism and Agitprop in the Rain

Monday, September 19th, 2005

More than 1,000 anti-capitalist protestersMore than 1,000 young left-wing protesters braved Saturday’s downpour to march amid a heavy police presence in the demonstration Anti-Capitalism 2005. While the young activists called it proof of the depth of their convictions, numerous onlookers said it was proof their loyalties had been bought and paid for.

A light drizzle started at noon as young people from Red Youth Vanguard, Eduard Limonov’s National Bolshevik Party, and the youth wings of the Rodina and Communist parties formed a column in the park on Chistoprudny Bulvar, chanting slogans such as “Socialism or death!” and “Capitalism is crap!” (more…)

NBP Says Kremlin Freed Men

Friday, September 16th, 2005

An National Bolshevik Party official said Thursday that his party believed the Kremlin was involved in an attack last month on its members.

“A source in the police told us that Nikita Ivanov, who works for the presidential administration, personally went to free the suspects detained after the attack on NBP activists,” said Vladimir Abel, NBP deputy chairman. (more…)

Mr. Putin’s Hands Have Blood On It

Friday, September 9th, 2005

What happened

Nazbols bloodOn August 29, in the evening, at about 8.06 p.m. the group of thugs, wearing black masks and white gloves have attacked meeting of Moscow regional organization of National-Bolsheviks Party. It was crowd of more than thirty thugs, armed with pneumatical pistols, baseball bats, and “fires,” used by football fanats.

Building near metro “Avtozavodskaia” was guarded by seven National-Bolsheviks, two of them girls. But they stand up bravely against assault. Four NBP activists were wounded: Dmitri Elizarov have both of his arms fractured, Stanislav Diakonov have three fractures on his head, he was also stabbed with knife. Van belonging to NB party was put on fire, its windows were broken. But no invader was let into buildings hall, not speaking about fours floor, were meeting took place. Receiving rebuff assailants fleed towards the bus, N576 “Moscow-Korolev,” what have deposited them earlier.

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Different Ends, Same Violent Means

Thursday, September 1st, 2005

It is a bad sign when headlines start to get confusing. Didn’t I read this before, a couple of weeks, or maybe a month, ago? Did an underpaid hack, suffering from a hangover on a slow news day, decide to do some creative recycling? Or are news stories starting to run together in my head for some other reason — perhaps because certain things are happening over and over again?

I had that feeling of deja vu when I read about the Monday attack on National Bolshevik Party activists. As many as 30 people, armed with baseball bats and, according to some eyewitnesses, with gas pistols firing rubber bullets, attacked a meeting of opposition youth groups attended by NBP members. At least three people were seriously injured. I felt like I had read this news item a couple of times before. No wonder: well-organized thugs had already attacked NBP activists three times this year, in March and in January during their meetings and once, in February, when a group of activists was returning from a rally. (more…)