On Saturday 27 October 2012 in Saint-Petersburg a traditional ‘March against hatred’ took place. The annual action is dedicated to memory of victims of neo-Nazism and xenophobia (the first march took place in 2004 when Nazis killed ethnographer Nikolay Girenko). This year ‘Democratic Petersburg’ organized the march with about 200 people from different organizations: ‘Yabloko’, ‘RPR-Parnas’, LGBT-activists, ‘Green wave’, ‘Solidarity’ and others. The column marched from Zoological museum to Sakharova square. At the square the participants of the march divided into groups. Portraits of murdered human rights defenders, activists, journalists and other victims of Nazi terror of last years were placed in front of Sakharov monument. The ‘Against hatred and fear’ banner attached to and carried by balloons was launched into the air at the end of the event. Surprisingly the banner moved towards the groups of policemen accompanying the action who confiscated it immediately. The balloons were released and symbolized ‘hatred and fear’ taken away into the air.
The problem of Nazi terror in contemporary Russia is very current. Thus, on 28 October 2012 a group of young people heading home after a concert was attacked by neo-Nazis in Samara. One of the injured was taken to hospital and still is in coma.
Video of the march is here: here