Yekaterina Tesemnikova. Exclusive to VK
The story of “the shooting wedding” in the center of Moscow paled into insignificance in Moscow, but in the North Caucasus passions are running high.
Last Saturday several dozen people held a demonstration in Makhachkala. They supported participants of the wedding and protested against harassment against Dags in Russian cities. One of the posts on Live Journal which urged people to come to the demonstration said: “It is high time to say NO to outrage and harassment against Dagestanians in Moscow and other Russian cities. We are against anti-Caucasian hysteria which is a sad tradition of the Russian mass media! We stand for the independent investigation of the incident with the Dagestanian wedding. We stand for the prosecution of the media which exaggerates inter-ethnic hatred and spreads extremist materials in their publications. We urge our country fallows to show high culture and ethics as the Caucasians attract great attention of the media, society, and the police. We are for international peace! Come to the demonstration!” It is interesting that the author of the post, kavkazz, has the motto: “You cannot win using defense only. To win you have to attack.” His location is “Talavi, Kakhetia, Georgia.”
Of course, we can discuss “almighty” Georgian special services, but one fact should be admitted: Moscow and the North Caucasus have different views on the events happened on the Tverskaya Street.
The Saturday demonstration showed Makhachkala believes guests of the wedding and just-marrieds who stated that they didn’t shoot in Moscow and they were arrested because the cars were decorated by ribbons of Dagestan flag’s colors. Moscow states (including top officials) that shooting took place. “Yes, there are different cultural traditions, but nobody has canceled laws. Nobody can shoot in the air either in Moscow or in Makhachkala or in New York. If such things happened in New York, it might cause sad consequences: the police would shoot to kill and would be right according to the law. We have to deal with raising a culture of consolidated living,” the Russian premier Medvedev stated soon after the incident.
People in Makhachkala think that such statements and accusations are inadequate and untimely, as they were made before the court’s verdict and “under impressions from the first information on the incident.” Journalists got the raw end of the deal. However, it should be noted that first reports on the joyful wedding no “Caucasian trap” was seen. TV channels spoke about hooligans who disturbed traffic in the center of Moscow and shot in the air from traumatic guns. It is an exclusive incident for the capital. Those who study and work with the Caucasus had a thought: “They probably are Caucasians.” Soon the information was confirmed. Then suddenly one of participants accused the police of inter-ethnic hatred to Dagestan residents. It is unclear who wised up him to do it.
It is obvious that today the incident on the Tverskaya Street is used for pitting people against each other. The main question is whether they shot in Moscow or not. Probably it is too early to call the train “shooting wedding” before getting serious evidence of shooting. The topic is acute, and new facts are adhering to the story. Participants of the demonstration in Makhachkala remembered other “promoted” by the mass media stories where the Caucasians are involved – trials over Aslan Cherkesov and Rasul Mirzayev. However, nobody mentioned the journalists and moviemakers who do not present Caucasian residents in dark colors.
Unfortunately, few people got know about the demonstration in Moscow. True targets of the initiators of the meeting stayed unclear too. Of course, we cannot judge the situation and the attitudes of society looking at some demonstrations. However, exaggeration of the current problems can turn into a serious headache for everybody.
