In relation to the 20th anniversary of the International Convention on the
Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families
on December 18, Anti-Discrimination Center Memorial urges the Russian
Federation to ratify this most important document and ensure the respect of the
rights of migrant workers in the country, which has one of the highest numbers
of migrant workers in the entire region.
The question of migrant rights is most relevant in the current context,
especially for those migrants coming from Russia’s southern and eastern
borders- so called "visual minorities" who are often discriminated against
based on their appearance. In the December of this year there were a series of
massive nationalist demonstrations in Moscow, St.Petersburg, and other cities,
which fulfilled every criteria of a "pogrom": individuals identified by
aggressively set groups of nationalists as "non-Russians" were subject to
indiscriminate attacks, beatings, and physical and psychological terror.
Actions of the security forces were clearly inconsistent with the
seriousness of the situation: victims of the enraged crowd didn’t receive
protection or assistance, while racists were allowed to easily overcome the
barriers set up by the police. The ostensibly "spontaneous" actions of the
enraged crowd (stemming from the death of a Spartak fan in a fight on December
6 in Moscow) were in reality undoubtedly carefully orchestrated by leaders of
neonationalist groups, who used the conflict as a pretext for the mobilization
of racist groups, so as to incite ethnic tensions. The mass hysteria was merely
bolstered by the reactions of the media and politicians to the events, who
merely condemned the violence, and did little to call for a rejection of the
nationalist fervor that was a backdrop to the disorder.
According to "Fontanka" (????), the demonstrations of nationalist youth in
St.Petersburg, which included a massive procession through the main streets
with attacks on bystanders whose appearance was not "agreeable" to the
demonstrators, was organized by the famous Dimitriy Bobrov, a neonazi whose
previous conviction was a racial hate crime. It is absolutely apparent that
criminal and fascist organizations used the death of a Moscow fan as a pretext
for launching a decisive attack on the rights of national minorities, and for
inciting pogroms and ethnic conflict. Such a situation requires a serious
evaluation and strong condemnation on behalf of the city government and society
as a whole, as well as an individual protest from each of us.
Amidst discussions about "the most tolerant city" and the "multicultural
Petersburg," a significant segment of the population openly accepts and
supports radical nationalism before our very eyes. This is likely the most
terrifying ramification- our society must realize where it has been led by
false nationalist prejudices and the tendency to blame "others" and
"foreigners" for all of it’s ills.
It is paramount to immediately abandon all nationalist ideas and slogans,
not only in word but in deed- to accept the multi-ethnicity of the city and
country, and to recognize equality and the value and interest of every
nationality and individual.
We express our support to the residents and guests of St.Petersburg; to all
peoples, ethnic groups and nationalities. We call for the respect and
appreciation of diversity, for not succumbing to the provocations of
nationalists, for the development of inter-ethnic ties, so as to struggle
together for a truly multi-ethnic city, country, and world.
By defending the rights of immigrants, migrants, and foreigners, we defend
ourselves from the destructive ideologies of hate, racism, and fascism.