Social networks users criticize law enforcers' actions on Circassian Flag Day in Nalchik

On April 25, the Circassian Flag Day, in Nalchik, law enforcers stopped everyone who was driving cars and motorcycles with this flag; a number of activists were fined, eyewitnesses have reported. Social networks users expressed their outrage at law enforcers' actions.

Ruslan, a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, said that on April 25 he was driving to Nalchik in a car decorated with a Circassian flag. He was stopped by a policeman who demanded to remove the flag, referring to the "order from above."

According to Azamat, a resident of Nalchik, police also stopped those, who were driving away from the celebration venue of the Circassian Flag Day – Abkhazia Square in Nalchik – with Circassian flags. Many of those stopped in Nalchik with Circassian flags were fined, Azamat asserts.

Kabardino-Balkaria was the only Russian region, where authorities prevented the traditional motor rally in honour of the Circassian Flag Day, the local edition "Khabze" has noted.

Activists were stopped not as participants in the motor rally, but only because they had Circassian flags, Valeri Valo, a Facebook user, has explained. "The only demand, when they stopped a car, was to remove the flag. And who allowed them to do it?! <...> Show me the law that <...> gives you the right to stop me for having my flag!" the user has written.

"At first they forbade dancing lezginka; now they prohibit us to celebrate the Flag Day," Islam Magomedov has written.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 28, 2019 at 04:40 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.