Part of the human rights movement tried to push through, at its Sunday congress, a resolution that gratuitously mentioned both me and the “DA!” movement: Deputy Chairman of the Moscow branch of the Yabloko party, A. Navalny, states that he does not condemn a single slogan of the Russian March, while making sure to emphasize that he personally “has supported and continues to support the slogan ‘Glory to Russia’” and ends “his speeches at democratic rallies” with it. The Democratic Alternative movement (DA!) has, four times in a row, provided a platform to the leading ideologues of nationalists and neo-fascists, including A. Potkin, leader of the Movement Against Illegal Immigration (DPNI), which claims to unite radical nationalist groups under the supposedly legitimate slogan of fighting illegal immigration. The sensible people — Alexeyeva, Babushkin, and a few others — explained to these oddballs what was what, and that section was removed from the resolution. But the very fact that people calling themselves “human rights defenders” are seriously trying to persecute those who like the slogan “Glory to Russia” is, of course, depressing. A totalitarian mindset, you know. "Anti-Fascism and Countering Xenophobia" We, representatives of regional human rights and anti-fascist organizations, consider anti-fascism to be a fundamental civic position. Countering fascism and aggressive xenophobia remains highly relevant in our country, where ever more social groups are becoming victims of radical nationalists — from non-Slavs and non-Orthodox Christians to non-citizens of Russia (migrants) and non-heterosexuals. At the same time, the slogans of certain radical nationalist organizations, which find support both among the authorities and the public, are already leading to open violence in the streets and the unpunished propagation of hatred and enmity. Our task as anti-fascists committed to the values of human rights is to protect ethnic, religious, sexual, and other minorities from discrimination — a task with which the current administration is failing to cope. While declaring the fight against extremism one of their top priorities, officials are turning anti-extremism legislation against their political opponents, preferring not to notice extremist crimes committed by radical nationalist groups. The leader of the extremist group “Mad Crowd” (St. Petersburg), whose members are accused of murdering the anti-fascist scholar Nikolai Girenko, receives 3.5 years in a penal settlement colony, while the murder of anti-fascist Alexander Ryukhin (Moscow), committed by a group of active members of neo-Nazi organizations, is classified as hooliganism. The murders of anti-fascist activists Timur Kacharava, Lamzar Samba, and other victims of hate crimes remain unsolved. At the same time as it declares a fight against aggressive nationalism, the state apparatus is adopting a number of radical nationalist slogans, implementing parts of their program, declaring the protection of the indigenous population a priority, beginning the persecution of Georgians on ethnic grounds, allowing xenophobic statements by government representatives, and protecting “loyal nationalists.” Equally unacceptable is the cooperation of some opposition figures with nationalists for the sake of confronting the current government. This tendency to flirt with nationalism, these attempts to “domesticate” it, are doomed to fail, because behind supposedly moderate nationalists there always come those who justify discrimination and ethnic cleansing. Deputy Chairman of the Moscow branch of the Yabloko party, A. Navalny, states that he does not condemn a single slogan of the Russian March, while making sure to emphasize that he personally “has supported and continues to support the slogan ‘Glory to Russia’” and ends “his speeches at democratic rallies” with it. The Democratic Alternative movement (DA!) has, four times in a row, provided a platform to the leading ideologues of nationalists and neo-fascists, including A. Potkin, leader of the Movement Against Illegal Immigration (DPNI), which claims to unite radical nationalist groups under the supposedly legitimate slogan of fighting illegal immigration. Co-chairs of the All-Russian Civic Congress, G. Kasparov and G. Satarov, are taking part in a roundtable titled "Civil Society and the Protection of the Rights of the Russian People" together with the organizers of the Russian March. Their statements about the possibility of cooperating with nationalists in order to oppose the current government are especially alarming. We believe that: 1. The use of anti-fascism as a tool in election campaigns is unacceptable. Anti-fascism must remain a consistent civic position and be expressed through the work of civic organizations, groups, and activists to protect minorities, counter violence and xenophobia, and actively resist the fascization of society and the state. 2. The legitimization of radical nationalist ideology is unacceptable. Recognizing organizations that promote hatred and xenophobia and permit any politicization of ethnicity as equal partners cannot serve as a means of advancing democracy. Public platforms must not be given to nationalists of any stripe, nor should there be cooperation with supporters of national superiority and exclusivity. 3. A consistent anti-fascist position is incompatible with any form of xenophobia. Xenophobic tendencies within the anti-fascist movement itself must also be eradicated. The task of human rights defenders who stand on anti-fascist principles is to contribute to the struggle against discrimination of minorities, not to stand aside when they become victims of neo-fascists. 4. The consistent position of human rights defenders who are anti-fascists is to demand that the state investigate and punish hate crimes, prevent the incitement of interethnic hatred and enmity, and suppress the propaganda of discrimination. Violations of human rights are violations of international agreements, the Constitution and laws of the Russian Federation, and offenses against the state and the multinational people of the Russian Federation".