Attack on antiwar picket in Saint Petersburg

On March 28, an attack was committed on participants in the picket against the war in Chechnya that is held in Saint Petersburg, at the intersection of Nevsky Avenue and Malaya Konyushennaya Street, from 2 till 4 p.m. every Sunday. The organizer of the picket is the Antiwar Committee, which consists of anarchists, Bolshevik Trotskyists, as well as representatives of some liberal human rights groups (in particular, the Memorial Society, the Public Initiative For Peace in Chechnya and Recognition of the Chechen People's Right to Self-determination", and others). All these people are united by the demands that the Russian troops should be withdrawn from Chechnya, the Chechen people should be given an opportunity for self-determination, and people responsible for unleashing the Chechen war should be removed from power and brought to account.

The number of attacks of various fascist-minded elements against the picket has increased recently.

Over 40 people participated in the last picket. It ended quite calmly. However a few minutes later, unknown people unexpectedly assaulted a group of about 10 picketers, who were going home, in the pedestrian subway at the corner of Nevsky Avenue and Sadovaya Street. The attackers used pepper gas, baseball bats, and belts with sharpened buckles. The participants in the picket on Malaya Konyushennaya defended themselves vigorously and put the attackers to flight. The unknown militants left a baseball bat and a belt with the sharpened buckle at the scene of the clash.