Africans arriving in the Russian capital these days to work or study are provided with an unusal set of instructions.
The list includes the following:
- Avoid moving around the city alone
- Know your destination and walk quickly and directly towards it
- In buses, trams and trains sit close to the driver
- Avoid travelling for four hours before and after soccer and hockey games
At first glance, the instructions may appear overly cautious, perhaps even patronizing. But increasingly, people who aren't Russian, or people who don't look Russian, are being attacked by neo-Nazis and skinhead groups.
Jessica Golloher reports from Moscow that the attacks aren't simply increasing in frequency, but in intensity as well. The last year for which there are official statistics is 2007. In that year, 653 people were victims of hate crimes. Of those, 73 died as a result of their injuries.
Police indifference
As Jessica found out, hate crimes are treated with indifference by police. And in some cases, assaults have taken place directly in front of police officers, who do nothing to help.
There is one ray of hope. Jessica went to a clinic run by American missionaries, which was set up specifically to help treat those who've been assaulted in hate crimes. There she spoke with a few men, from Ghana and Nigeria. One man, Manuel Thomas, told her how he'd been beaten by eight men who left him for dead.
"They [started] speaking and shouting saying: "Black guy, what are you doing in Russia? You should go back to your country, black guy, nigger." They start beating me. Nobody came. Nobody came. I was there for four or five hours. I was in snow. I'm, like, scared."
Attacks on the increase
Jessica tried to contact the police department for comment, as well as members of the Duma, or Russian parliament. Her calls went nowhere. In the meantime, the attacks keep getting worse. Unofficial sources estimate that there have been 39 hate crime attacks so far in 2009 - and 14 of the victims have died.
Manuel Thomas is still recuperating from his injuries. When he's fully healed, he's planning on leaving Russia. For the men at the clinic, returning to their home countries and leaving their dreams behind, is the only option remaining.
Tags:
attacks,
hate,
immigrants,
nazi,
race,
racism,
racist,
russia,
skin head
Thomas,
28-02-2009
- USA
There are very few Eastern European posters on this forum thus no one can explain to you the growing revulsion among the people at the "Multiculturalist mantra" what the neo-Marxist West spawning around.
Unlike you in the West - who exhibits an open self-hate, - Easterners don't want to destroy their culture, history by importing 3rd. world underclass only to promote the dismantling of the nation-States, the great EU project. Only you, Western Europeans enjoy the chaos and collapse of your cities, the raging Islamist takeover, the Muslim and other Ghettoes in the heart of your country. Not the people in the East. The Marxists - who destroyed the Eastern half of Europe - got kicked out and now they keep on practicing their pernicious trade in the West as EU bureaucrats. Get ready for the popular uprising if you are pushing too hard your neo-Marxist agenda, your immigration, your preferential treatment of those who hate you most. Easterner are not pussycats you can just push over them easily.
Restore Democracy,
27-02-2009
- USA
The question is: How did the Neonazi ideology get into Russia, and who is feeding it to grow? The same should be asked in other countries. Where did the Neonazi mentality come from and why are people aligning with it? Is there money or political influence behind the creation and maintenance of the groups? And if so, why?
Steve,
27-02-2009
- USA
He is planning on leaving Russia. I would be scared and upset if this happened to me, but if he leaves he is giving these Neo-Nazis exactly what they want. It is a very thin line to walk on but if these skin heads see that they are making "progress" then they will continue to intensify their efforts.