Page 9 - RusRPTDec23

2.0 Politics
2.1 Anti-semetic riot in Dagestan
On October 29, a large mob, driven by antisemitic sentiments, disrupted operations at Makhachkala International Airport in the capital of Dagestan.
This group, numbering in the hundreds, forcibly entered the airport and attempted, unsuccessfully, to attack a plane arriving from Tel-Aviv.
The disturbance was fuelled by rumours circulating on social media that the plane was carrying Israeli citizens. The attackers also purportedly tried to inspect the documents of passengers.
Mediazona provided a first-hand account from one of the passengers on the plane, while independent media outlet The Insider conducted an in-depth investigation into the social media rumours that preceded the unrest.
The Insider revealed that several Telegram channels run by exiled influencers played a significant role in inflaming the mob's anger. Of note was the role of the now-banned "Utro Dagestan" Telegram channel, supported by Ilya Ponomarev, an exiled opposition deputy residing in Ukraine.
This channel's involvement allowed Russian authorities to make an unsubstantiated claim that the riots were organised by Ukraine. Meduza, however, uncovered that the channel is edited by Abakar Abakarov, a Dagestani emigrant.
The riot marked the culmination of a series of antisemitic incidents across Russia's North Caucasian regions. An analysis of the circumstances that led to the riots, including the authorities' tolerance of antisemitism and violence. Dagestan has witnessed several unsanctioned protests over the past year, including road closures stemming from persistent issues with public utilities and protests against military mobilisation.
The incident prompted responses from political figures at various levels. President Putin delivered a speech the day after the riots, blaming the United States and Ukraine and announcing tighter security measures in the North Caucasus.
Sergey Melikov, the head of Dagestan, accused "provocateurs" from outside the Republic of instigating the riot by spreading false information. Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, suggested that law enforcement officers should be allowed to use lethal force against participants in "unauthorised" protests who refuse to disperse after warning shots. Kadyrov had contributed to anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiments in social media posts about the Israel-Gaza conflict prior to the riots. It is likely that his recent statements are motivated by a desire to demonstrate usefulness to the government rather than a genuine commitment to preventing violence against Jewish individuals.
9 RUSSIA Country Report December 2023 www.intellinews.com