Mass fights of youngsters in the capital of Karachai-Circassia

On February 18, in the centre of Cherkessk, the capital of Karachai-Circassia, at the stela of the "Green Island" Park, a mass fight of young people burst out. On the following day it was continued at the building of the Karachai-Circassian State Academy. Eyewitnesses assert that two crowds were fighting - Karachais against Circassians and Abazins. The militia does not deny the fact of fights, which failed to get into incidents report.

Eyewitnesses of the events report that in the evening on February 18, at about 5 p.m., in Cherkessk, near the stela - symbol of the capital of Karachai-Circassia, cars and youngsters began to gather.

"At least 500 persons were there for sure, young guys stood in groups and swore; then, they started fighting. Opponents threw stones, sticks and everything they could get," Marina Temirova, a resident of a nearby house, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to her version, the fighters were split into two groups. "As I understood, one group was of Circassians and Abazins, and the other group - of Karachais. I don't know how many of them suffered, but I saw a guy all in blood. They were fighting very severely, several attacked one," the woman said.

Together with her neighbour she called militia. Law enforcers came, surrounded the territory, shot into the air; and only then the crowd began to disperse.

Under the story of the women, on the following day the fight was continued not only at the Academy, but also outside the city.

A resident of Cherkessk named Lika said that similar incidents are rather frequent at the city's stela.

As reported by another eyewitness of the events on February 18, the mass fight was between Karachais, on the one hand, and Circassians and Abazins - on the other.

"I was on my way to the stadium to my training session, when I saw that a crowd was gathering. I stopped at the stela and began watching and asking about what was happening. They told me that an 'appointment' was marked there, because on the eve after a Circassian performance in the drama theatre an unequal fight burst out between Circassians and Karachais, where the latter had superiority," said the source.

The press service of the MIA of Karachai-Circassia, where the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent had a conversation, did not deny the fact of the fight, however said the events had not bee recorded in the incidents reports. "There are no victims or detainees, in our reports these fights were not registered," said the MIA's press secretary.