North Caucasians Increasingly Part of Moscow Protest Scene

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 17 – Ingush supporters of the political prisoners in their republic, Daghestani defenders of besieged Chernovik journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiyev, and backers of Circassian leader Martin Kochesoko against whom Russian officials have used the tactics they employed against Igor Golunov are assuming more prominent positions in Moscow protests.

            That ensures that their protests which Moscow has always sought to keep in the shadows lest others support the North Caucasians in their causes will now get more coverage and support not only within the Russian Federation but abroad among the many who seem to think that nothing important happens beyond the ring road (zamanho.com/?p=9390).

            This coming together of the North Caucasian and Moscow protests is entirely natural given that the latest wave of all-Russian protest activity had its origins almost a year ago in Ingushetia when an increasingly out-of-touch republic leadership took actions that infuriated the population and then refused to back down but rather made things worse.

            Meanwhile, in Ingushetia, despite the rising tide of repression mitigated only by the refusal of some investigators to bring the charges that the Yevkurov regime wants, the opposition movement is preparing “new actions, flash mobs, pickets and other moves to show the entire world the position of the Ingush people,” an activist says (gorod-812.ru/ingushskiy-protest/).