Representatives of democratic forces created a Coordination Committee to organise and coordinate a mass-scale campaign of non-violence to oppose fascism, extremism, xenophobia and nationalism.

The decision to create a Coordination Committee was adopted at meeting of the democratic public of the Russian capital on Sunday, June 23, 2002. The meeting was convened on the initiative of the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO, the Moscow Helsinki Group and a number of human rights organisations.

About 300 people, including outstanding political and public figures, human rights activists, artists, famous journalists, participated in the meeting “Moscow without Fascism” which took place in the Mayor’s building.

They included human rights activists Larissa Bogoraz, Artistic Director of the Taganka Theatre Yuri Lyubimov, Leonid Batkin, President of the Glasnost Protection Fund Alexei Simonov, Secretary General of the Journalists’ Union Igor Yakovenko, Editor-in-Chief of the Moskovskiye Novosti (Moscow news) weekly, Viktor Loshak, director of the Sakharov Museum, Yuri Samodurov, deputies of the State Duma Sergei Mitrokhin (YABLOKO), Sergei Yushenkov (Liberal Russia), Vladimir Lysenko (the Republican Party of the RF), deputy of the Moscow City Duma Evgeni Bunimovich, Konstantin Borovoi (the Party of Economic Freedom) and many others.

The members of the Coordination Committee are Chairman of the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO Grigory Yavlinsky, Chairman of the Moscow Helsinki Group Ludmila Alexeeva, Director General of the Russian PEN-centre Alexander Tkachenko, Chairman of the Commission for Rehabilitation of the Victims of Political Repressions N.Yakovlev, Co-Chair of the Democratic Russia movement – Executive Director of the “For the Human Rights” movement Lev Ponomaryov and Eleonora Chaikovskaya, head of the public Committee “For Civil Rights”, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO Andrei Babushkin, member of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Chairman of the Civil Control Committee of the YABLOKO party Valery Borschyov, President of the All-Russia “Holocaust” Foundation Alla Gerber, Alexander Akselrod (Tolerantonost Foundation), Chairman of the Moscow Anti-Fascist Centre Evgeni Proshechkin, President of the Russian Section of the International Human Rights Association Vladimir Novitski, translator Engelina Tareeva, artist Leonid Tazba and many others.

Oleg Mironov, Human Rights Commissioner, writer and Director of the Institute of Europe Nokilai Shmelyov, actor Sergei Yurski who did not participate in the meeting, agreed to join the Coordination Committee.

The Coordination Committee will facilitate the evolution in Russian society of non-tolerance to all manifestations of fascism, extremism, xenophobia and nationalism, oppose the authorities if they encourage, by their action or inaction, or neglect these manifestations.

According to the President of the All-Russia “Holocaust” Foundation Alla Gerber, none of the 76 files of criminal cases on stirring national discord have reached the courts over the past twelve years.

The Coordination Committee will accumulate and systematize information on all manifestations of fascism, extremism, xenophobia and nationalism not only in Moscow, but also throughout Russia. With this goal in mind, the Coordination Committee will open a “hot telephone line”. Public civil actions are planned in autumn.

“In society, first and foremost Moscow is unable to demonstrate its absolute disagreement with semi-official policies in this sphere and the public attitudes we witness today: if it is unable to organize non-violent, but tough and categorical resistance, then I think our country will have to confront the scenarios we observed in Yugoslavia. Nationalism will gradually in some form be transformed into state policy,” Chairman of the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO Grigory Yavlinsky said in his speech.

The participants at the meeting demanded from the authorities an adequate response to the challenge created by the nationalists. The speakers also stated that it was high time to stop calming themselves and society, by trying to describe the actions of the fascists as “group hooliganism”.

The meeting also called on all the democratic and patriotic forces and non-governmental civil organisations of the country to support this initiative and participate in the work of the Coordination Committee.

To reach the Coordination Committee please contact:

• (095) 207 12 95 (main-mhg@online.ptt.ru)
• (095) 924 20 51 (moscow@yabloko.ru)
• (095) 478 95 15 (comitet@online.ru)
• (095) 202 22 24 (zpch@online.ru)

See also:
YABLOKO Against Extremism