Antifa Takes On Nationalists In Russian Youth's Civil War
By Brian Whitmore and Maksim Yaroshevsky
He was a former punk rocker called "the Bonebreaker." He was known for organizing underground bare-knuckle boxing matches. And he was one of Russia's most high-profile antiracism activists.
Ivan Khutorskoi had survived a few attacks by militant nationalists -- once with a knife, once with a razor, and once with a screwdriver. But the burly 26-year-old's luck ran out on November 16 when he was shot dead in the stairwell of his apartment on the outskirts of Moscow.
A day later, Khutorskoi's allies in Russia's growing antifascist movement, known as "Antifa," struck back.
Scores of Antifa activists descended on the headquarters of the pro-Kremlin youth group Young Russia -- which Antifa members say has ties to extreme nationalists. The activists smashed windows with metal rods, threw stones and garbage, and clashed with Young Russia members.
Observers say they expect the violent struggle between Antifa activists and militant nationalist youths to escalate:
"This isn't a game. What is going on between Nazis and Antifa is a full-fledged war," Ilya Yashin, a youth leader with Solidarity, the anti-Kremlin group whose founders include Garry Kasparov, tells RFE/RL's Russian Service.
AND THE DATE IS.....
November 20, 2009 15:08 GMT
Now tell me you left wing wankers that this is not a good enough source. Sorry for the big print .
