New information has come out about the attack on a camp of antifa environmental activists on Saturday. The violent raid sent eight to the hospital, one of which, Ilya Borodayenko, 26, died of head injuries. Police have since issued eight arrest warrants and have detained 20 suspects. All of the perpetrators are under the age of 22, are students or are unemployed. Police are charging the suspects with “hooliganism” and “intentional grievous bodily harm resulting in death.”
Since news of the attack broke there has been speculation whether the attackers were Neo-nazis or local hooligans looking for “a bit of the old ultra-violence.” Witnesses say that the attackers raided the camp yelling nationalist and anti-Antifa slogans. At first, police firmly stated that there were no such nationalist or neo-fascist groups around Angarsk. According to RIA Novosti, police are now saying that the attack “was carried out by members of a local neo-Nazi group.” The motive for the attack also seems to more than your typical left-right violence. The Moscow Times says that prosecutors think the attack “was a revenge attack against anti-fascists who beat up a skinhead two weeks ago.” Others, like Vladimir Slivyak of the Russian environmental group Ecodefense, are distancing themselves from the antifa camp, claiming that the they had nothing to do with the protest, and that “This was a fight with anti-fascists, and it is very bad for us if now the media is reporting that fascists have been attacking environmentalists.” Yet the activists are from three different left wing groups–Autonomous Action, Rainbow Keepers, and Antifa–all of which are involved in the ecological protest at Angarsk.
But many, including the activists, see a connection between the attack and the protests against Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Plant. In a comment in Ezhednevnyi zhurnal, Galina Kozhevnikova of the SOVA Center, stated that
Personally I have a strong suspicion that the attack on the ecological camp in Angarsk is closely connected with the struggle around the Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Plant. It’s known that skinheads are very often employed in business turf wars (???????????? ????????). And if [such employment] is possible, why would it be hard to understand that such methods used against ecologists in an ecological camp protesting against the creation of an international nuclear center for the enrichment of uranium? Practically all of our radical ecologists are at the same time also Antifa. In the camp near Angarsk were the Rainbow Keepers and Autonomous Action. So there is nothing astonishing in the conflict itself.
Nevertheless, there is no evidence of a possible connection between the skinheads, the police, or those at Angarsk. So the speculation about the back story, if there is one, continues.
Thanks to mab for the translation of ???????????? ????????.
???????????? ???????? = a business turf war, i.e. the skinheads are used when two businesses are squabbling or shooting it out over commercial interests.
Yuck. Skinheads for hire. That seems like a relatively new development. Well, I guess a pumped up thug is happy for a fight…
Thanks for the translation mab. I will make the necessary corrections.
This is the first I’ve heard of skins being hired like this. The only other incident where this was suspected was when a group of footballisty raided a meeting of the AKM, Komsomol, and Natsbols in 2005. It was suspected that Nashi hired them.
It does not surprise me at all that a neo-nazi group could be hired for settling a commercial dispute. That was my initial assessment posted on my site. To those who stand to make *lots* of money on such a disposal deal, this is just a commercial dispute with a annoying but weak opponent.
The neo-nazi groups are like the sports clubs of the early 90s — a group of guys with lots of energy and testosterone but short on money. Killing African students does not pay for vodka or provide local political cover, but doing a bang up job for a business would certainly pay and might provide local connections that would allow the group to perform other primary goal activities with impunity. To me, it is logical that a neo-nazi group would agree to perform “jobs” such as this.
Before anyone posts so, I am not agreeing with these methods or supporting the groups involved, I am simply pointing out reality.
That is indeed what I think happened during the attack on the Tsaritsy (sp?) market in 2001 (2002?). The skinheads were paid by rivals of the market to bust up the place. This is what most Russians I know think of that attack as well.
The neo-nazi groups are like the sports clubs of the early 90s — a group of guys with lots of energy and testosterone but short on money
There are probably many groups within Russia that feed upon such guys. Young men full of piss and vinegar with nothing specific to do with their time and energies.
Actually, not only within Russia. Isn’t this also the stereotypical terrorist? Or stereotypical protester in France (remember the burning of the cars in Paris suburbs)?
It is probably an underappreciated social problem in underemployed regions of the world.
It’s the stereotypical inner city gang member, too.
It does not surprise me at all that a neo-nazi group could be hired for settling a commercial dispute.
Russophile, I don’t see any commercial dispute there. Between whom? Eco-groups have no commercial interests. And their threat to commercial interest of “big boys” is less that zero. At least in form of camps.
“Big boys” are not such idiots to hire real idiots to attack this kind of “opponents”. If just a word would leak – and it would with so many idiots involved – this would make more trouble for “zakazchik” than theoretical benefits from scaring ecologists.
There are much more effective and bulletproof methods – like “buying” those people in government agencies who decide where and what should be built, stored, disposed etc.
That is indeed what I think happened during the attack on … market in ….. The skinheads were paid by rivals of the market to bust up the place.
This is example of “commercial dispute”. And it was cheaper and faster to use force to push your “rival” off the market than trying to do in any legal or semi-legal manner. But this is another matter.
It’s like battle between dung-beetles.
And in first case it’s a fly against elephant really. Why should elephant bother what flies are “thinking”?
PS. 15 people arrested already. It shouldn’t be a problem to “break” these guys. They are too many. So few always start talking fast.
I don’t see any commercial dispute there. Between whom? Eco-groups have no commercial interests. And their threat to commercial interest of “big boys” is less that zero.
Certainly, someone locally or regionally stands to make a huge sum of money from a uranium enrichment plant. Of course, the protesters were little threat, but they were also weak targets of little risk that may have become just a little too annoying.
The “zakazchik” does not need to deal with 15. He only needs to deal with the leader of the group who turned his minions lose and neither were present at the attack. If they ever tracked the organization back to the leader, he would never rat on the “zakazchik” because he would not last another day. Anyways, there would be zero proof ever tying the organization back to the business interests.
Also, I doubt they were supposed to kill anyone, but just got out of hand. Besides, most will likely only get a short prison sentence since it will be impossible to say who of the 15 actually did the killing. And most will take their prison sentence as a badge off honor.
If it was not a purchased attack, then what was the reasoning?
Obviously and admittedly, I will never be able to prove my theory. And if I did have evidence, I certainly would not tell anyone about it if I cared to live. That is the kind of info that makes the ceiling in your podyezd the last view you ever see.