RUSSIAN ANARCHISTS VERSUS FASCISTS:
Since the demise of Communist dictatorship many new currents have emerged in the Russian Federation. Some of these are our own comrades, the anarchists, but there is also a darker side to the downward spiral of post-Communist Russia- the birth of neo-Nazi and neo-fascist groups who recruit via the paranoia of the Russian demographic crisis and the popular suspicion of ethnic groups that used to be part of the USSR. The lingering remnants of Communist sympathizers sometime oppose and sometimes make common cause with these historical "undeads". The Russian anarchists are always totally opposed to fascism and xenophobia as a matter of principle. Confrontations between fascists and anti-fascists are becoming an almost daily occurrence in Russia.
The Anti-Fascist Association of St. Petersburg released a statement on Dec 12th about a confrontation that occured on Dec. 3rd. This has been reprinted in the Russian anarchist online journal 'Avtonom' (http://www.avtonom.org -see also Molly's Links section at the bottom). This site has an English translation for most of their news. This incident involved an attack by about 30 Nazis on about 10 people returning from a weekly picket against the Russian imperial policies. On this occasion the anti-fascists beat back their attackers.
It was a different matter on Dec. 10th, when about 20 fascists attacked 7 anarchists on Furshtatskoy St. in St. Petersburg. This time the fascists were well armed with knives. Two anarchists were stabbed. One of them, a teenager, received 7 stab wounds and is in hospital with damage to his kidneys. yet another is in even more serious condition.
The Russian anarchists continue to stand up to the rising tide of fascism in the Russian Federation. To keep up to date on this check in on the site given above.
Molly