Purchase of fences for rallies is reaction to protest potential of Northern Caucasus

The purchase of fences intended to cordon rallies off by the North-Caucasian police has been made in view of possible actions against authorities, especially in Dagestan, where anti-mobilization protests were essential, journalists and human rights defenders have pointed out.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the North-Caucasian Branch of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has announced the purchase of 3000 mobile fences for mass events.

The purchase of the fences fits into the policy concept of Russian authorities and the reaction of the society predicted by the authorities, says Ruslan Mutsolgov, an activist from the human rights organization "Mashr". In his opinion, the authorities' forecasts take into account "the most undesirable, even if highly unlikely" cases.

He has recalled that in Ingushetia in 2018 there were mass protests against changes in the republic's borders.

There is no need to supply fences for rallies in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), Valery Khatazhukov, the chairman of the KBR's Human Rights Centre, is sure. "I see no chances for mass protests here in the short term," he has stated.

Magomed Magomedov, a deputy editor-in-chief of the Dagestani weekly "Chernovik", believes that mass protests over partial mobilization have not frightened Dagestani authorities; and the MIA has hardly prompted them to the idea of mass purchase of fences.

At the same time, Mr Magomedov has pointed out that anti-mobilization protests in Dagestan have themselves "become an alert signal" for authorities; and the protest potential is always in place in the republic.