Moscow police clear Manezh Square in fear of more riots

Moscow police clear Manezh Square in fear of more riots

2010-12-14 00:10:29 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (BNO NEWS) -- Russian police on Monday cleared Moscow's Manezh Square to prevent more riots like the ones on Saturday in protest of the death of a football fan, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Riot police was set up along the square after receiving information that interethnic riots will continue between migrants of Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus region and Russians. On Saturday, riots erupted between the two groups after a Spartak Moscow supporter was killed.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that the interethnic hatred threatens national stability and called upon police to punish the perpetrators of the crimes committed.

"The recent events in Moscow should be classified as a crime, and those that committed them should be punished," Medvedev said. "Acts aimed at inciting racial, national or religious hatred, threatens the stability of the state."

On Saturday, approximately 5,000 football supporters and nationalists gathered on Manezh Square in central Moscow to protest the death of Yegor Sviridov, a Spartak Moscow supporter. The fan was killed earlier this month in a fight between football fans and Muslim migrants.

Aslan Cherkessov, 26, from the North Caucasus republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, was allegedly responsible for the killing of Sviridov and was placed in custody until at least February 6 as police investigates the death.

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