09 November 2020, 11:32
Aggressive youth disrupt action in support of freedom of speech in Astrakhan
Four Astrakhan residents have held a series of solo pickets in support of the freedom of speech. A group of young people were outraged by the content of some of the posters, in particular, by the flags of France and the photo of Emmanuel Macron. They insulted the picketers and tore up posters, motivating their attacks by the fact that the French president showed disrespect for Islam.
On October 16, Samuel Paty, a teacher of history and geography, was beheaded in a Paris suburb. At a lesson on the freedom of speech, the teacher had shown caricatures on Prophet Muhammad from the "Charlie Hebdo" magazine to his pupils. The alleged killer was shot dead by policemen and identified as Abdulak Anzorov, 18, a Russian citizen of Chechen origin.
In Astrakhan, on November 8, four local residents staged a series of solo pickets in support of the freedom of speech. They were standing near the Trusov Mini-Park in the centre of the city. Almost immediately, policemen approached the picketers and copied their personal data, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, who was present at the venue, reports.
After that a group of youngsters – some 10-12 people – approached the picketers. They addressed the picketers in an insulting manner and swore obscenities. They tore off a photo of French President Emmanuel Macron from a poster of one of the picketers, and then tore down the poster itself. Another female picketer had to remove the flag of France, which she was holding along with the poster.
The youngsters were walking from one picket to another until the action was over. The policemen, who were initially sitting in a car nearby, left when a group of young people had gathered.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 9, 2020 at 03:12 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Alena Sadovskaya Source: CK correspondent
