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Thousands Rally In Moscow Against Ethnic Violence

   VOA News 26 December 2010
   Russians  try  to  draw  public  attention  to a recent rise in ethnic
   tensions at a rally in central Moscow, 26 Dec 2010

Photo: AP

   Russians  try  to  draw  public  attention  to a recent rise in ethnic
   tensions at a rally in central Moscow, 26 Dec 2010

   More  than  2,000  people braved bitter winter conditions on Sunday to
   rally in Moscow against ethnic tensions that have erupted into violent
   riots in recent weeks.
   The  "Moscow  for  Everyone"  rally was in response to clashes between
   Russian  nationalists  and  migrants from the Caucasus region in early
   December.
   Opposition  leader  Vladimir  Ryzhkov  told those gathered in downtown
   Moscow  that  every  town  across  Russia  is  multi-ethnic,  and that
   nationalism would ruin the country.
   Russian  President  Dmitry  Medvedev has spoken out against the ethnic
   violence.
   Ethnic  Russians  make  up  the  majority of the country's population,
   while roughly 20 percent come from different ethnic groups.
   There  has been growing resentment between Russians and those from the
   Caucasus,  worsened  by  the  ongoing conflict with Chechen rebels and
   militants in Dagestan.
   At  least  seven suspected militants were killed Sunday in a shoot-out
   with  police  in  Dagestan,  a  region that sees deadly clashes almost
   daily between security forces and Islamic insurgents.

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