Russia Detains 1,000 To Prevent Ethnic Clashes

Ethnic conflict has erupted in Russia, leading to violence, endangering the safety of Russian citizens and potentially weakening the power of the government. Several riots throughout Russia ended with the police detaining over 1,000 civilians, and confiscating weapons and knives. Following the demise of the Soviet Union and the Chechen wars, ideas such as neo-Nazism and xenophobia arose and quickly gained momentum. Xenophobia is the loathing of foreigners because of their beliefs and practices or just simply anything new. In the weekend riots, young men were detained in fear of starting ethnic conflict after they began yelling racist slogans and doing the Nazi or Hitler salute. Young men often take part in ethnic protests or rallies, and countless have been arrested in the protests throughout the past several years. The protest began when a member of the local soccer team’s fan club was shot after conflict with natives of the Caucasus region. Policemen allegedly released some suspects because of their connections, later apologizing, admitting they made a mistake, and arrested three more suspects. Although the police force has not said when the rioters will be release, it is predicted that they will be released soon because there is simply not enough room for them in police stations or in prisons. Natives of the Caucasus region, who are a majority Muslim, face harsh discrimination from Slavic Russians as more and more move into Moscow and large areas. People from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia also face discrimination and prejudice. Of the estimated 180 ethnic groups in Russia, Slavic Russians account for about 80% of the population. Russia was recently named as the host country for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, in addition to the host country for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. With such violent riots and protests recently taking place, some question Russia’s capability to hold such a massive event free of protests or violence.

Similar to the United States, Russia is a melting pot of countless different ethnic groups. The estimated 140 ethnic groups, along with the rise of neo-Nazism and xenophobia threaten the safety of the Russian people and could eventually pose as a serious threat to the legitimacy of the Russian government (like the drug cartels in Mexico). These two ideas, along with ethnic nationalism, can lead to violence, prejudice, and hate crimes. For example, similar to the protest mentioned in the article, Slavic Russians may stage a violent protest in which they attack a certain ethnic group, such as the Muslims. This might happen because the Slavic Russians think their ethnic group is better than that of the Muslims (ethnic nationalism), or the Slavs do not like the Muslims because they are foreigners and have a different culture (xenophobia). If these protests turn violent, the safety of the people is jeopardized. Constant ethnic clashes not only potentially leads to violence, but also to societal unrest, threatening the power of the government and its ability to get things done. Just as the ever-powerful drug cartels endanger the power and legitimacy of the Mexican government, ethnic clashes have the same potential to endanger the power of the Russian government. Ethnic conflict, societal unrest, and violence imperil the country’s path toward democracy.