Statement by participants of European anti-fascist conference in St.Petersburg

Statement by participants of the conference “Xenophobia, neo-fascism and
anti-fascism in the present-day social context” and of the “Prague Spring
II” European network

On November 3, 2010 the conference “Xenophobia, neo-fascism and anti-fascism in the present-day social context” was held in St.Petersburg, concerned with the increase of xenophobic, racist, and far right trends, and ways and methods of resisting them, in Western, Central European and post-Soviet countries. The conference participants from Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Austria discussed different aspects of these problems that are becoming more and more urgent when crises are growing in the society, with their main burden being put on the broad masses of the population by the policies implemented by the dominating groups.

The conference took place during the all-European action by the “UNITED for Intercultural Action” network that is held around November 9, the date of the Nazi anti-Semitic pogroms (“Kristallnacht”) in 1938, and on the eve of November 4, the “People’s Unity Day” in Russia, an official holiday declaring “unity” of all the people of Russia with the dominating groups in the name of a “statist-patriotic” ideology, and at the same time, celebrated by neo-Nazi and far right groups as their own high day.

Against the background of social problems unsolvable under the current policies shaped by the state and big business, xenophobic and racist attitudes are on the rise in Russia, and far right tendencies are a real danger. The government policies generate conditions for the rise of far right, and independent social movements, including the anti-fascist movement, regularly face police repression.

On the day of the conference, November 3, just before the “Unity Day”, a group of men from the “anti-extremist” department of St.Petersburg police broke into the apartment of one of activists of the anti-fascist movement, who is also one of organizers of the “Defend the city of fascism!” rally, a counteraction to neo-Nazi events on November 4. A search was conducted, with outrageous violations of law. The search warrant cited charges against one activist who stayed in the apartment, Rinat Sultanov, of causing “grave bodily injury” to some person in 2008. Under this pretext, the police broke the door of the apartment, beat everybody present and took away computers, documents and materials prepared for the next day’s antifascist rally meeting (leaflets, banners, etc.). Rinat Sultanov (together with another activist who was freed afterwards) was detained and still remains in custody.

However, despite the intimidation, the “Defend the city of fascism!” rally was held successfully on November 4.

These actions by authorities show the real value of official declarations of “unity” of all the people with the government.

Characteristically, this act of intimidation is directed namely against those activists of the anti-fascist movement who are most oriented towards public anti-fascist action and co-operation with a broader spectrum of social movements.
We express our solidarity with anti-fascist activists of St.Petersburg and across Russia that are under police pressure and attacks by the far right.
We demand to stop immediately the intimidation and persecution campaign against anti-fascist activists of St.Petersburg and across Russia, and to release Rinat Sultanov.

As the fight against the international far right threat must be conducted at the international level, we’ll intensify our international ties and prepare new common activities, including information exchanges, conferences and other public events, and solidarity actions.

Hermann Dworczak, Igor Gotlib, Arthur Saudins, Victor Shapinov, Marcin Starnawski,
Ekaterina Vargina