Neo-Nazis attacked residents of Novopolotsk, Belarus, according to a March 31, 2008 report by the opposition web site Khartiya 97. "It is outrageous that over the course of several hours, not a single police patrol appeared on the streets of Novopolotsk, which allowed fascist gangs to violate public order with impunity," a local human rights group announced in a statement on the March 30 violence. The assailants targeted youths hanging out in the downtown area, as well as passersby. Although not noted in the report, the police lack of a response to the rampage is especially strange in light of the fact that Belarus is a dictatorship where security agencies strive to keep order and stifle dissent. In recent years, opposition youth groups have accused the government of encouraging or at least allowing neo-Nazis to attack them, but it is unclear from the report what, if any, political affiliation the victims of the rampage have.

[HOME] [ACT] [CONNECT] [JOIN] [ABOUT] [SEARCH]