Riots in Estonian capital Tallinn

[cantona]

Tallinn - Police officers used a fire extinguisher to keep protesters at bay in Tallinn on Thursday evening, after a day of increasing tension over plans to move a controversial monument.

Demonstrators at the monument tried to break through a line of security police at 1940 local time (1640 GMT). Police kept them back with blasts from a powder fire extinguisher, police spokeswoman Tuuli Harson told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

There have been no reports of any people being injured during the incident, which lasted only 30 seconds, she added.

After the incident, police pushed their defensive line outwards from the monument and sealed off the streets leading to the area.

The situation has 'stabilized,' with an estimated 1,000 demonstrators watching events, Harson said.

Earlier, police foiled an attempt by demonstrators to drive a car into the closed-off area, the Russian-language website rus.delfi.ee announced. The incident was handled 'sensibly' and no trouble resulted, the site reported.

Police closed off the memorial complex - a statue of a Red Army soldier and an unknown number of graves - in the early hours of the morning as part of a government plan to relocate the complex.

Demonstrators opposed to the idea of moving the monument began gathering soon after, some bringing flowers to the spot, others shouting slogans. During the course of the day nine people were arrested, six being charged with breaches of the peace.

But larger crowds gathered during the evening, which has been the warmest so far this year.

Some began shouting 'Shame! Shame!' at the police, while another car driven by protesters played a hymn variously interpreted as the Soviet national anthem or its Russian successor, which has the same melody.

The Red Army memorial complex has been the centre of controversy since Estonians and Russians scuffled on the site last May. Ethnic Russians believe it honours Soviet troops who died liberating Europe from fascism.

Estonian nationalists say that for them, Soviet victory brought Soviet oppression, not liberation.


By now, around 100 people are arrested and the police launched operation to clear the streets. Around 500 mostly young russians are spread around the center of Tallinn. Police stations, cars and different stores are being attacked, according to some sources a local nazi club has been set on fire. The police are clueless, protesters are looting stores infront of their eyes, because they´re not allowed to leave the statue unprotected and there really aren´t much more police in the town, lol. The pro-monument movement promised to repeat the Paris riots in Tallinn. It´s really fun to see this kind of stuff happening just few weeks after the general elections...what really disturbs me though, is that some of the protesters are really drunk.

[cantona]

Two videos from today:
http://video.postimees.ee/M4V01313rr.mpg
http://video.postimees.ee/M4V01314rr.mpg

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Great to see some people standing up against the attempted white washing of history that has spread across Eastern Europe.

[cantona]

Windows of random living houses are being smashed as well, people are posing next to cars that they´ve turned around, local russian neo-nazis are shouting "Russia! Russia!". Tommorow, estonian neo-nazis are planning to start a fight against the protesters. Attempts by police to clear the streets are failing as bottles are the only answers they get...

Looks like its spreading to suburbs too...fireworks infront of the appartament building I live in.

[cantona]

Now clashes between russians and estonians, russians and riot-police, estonians and riot-police are taking place all around the city...

People are looting stores and kiosks and when they come out of them, they smile and wave to the cameras...no idea why they don´t use masks.

Images of looting some kiosk: http://www.ap3.ee/Default2.aspx?ArticleID=...b3-3b382899acf4 (http://www.ap3.ee/Default2.aspx?ArticleID=cee655bf-1a75-4977-acb3-3b382899acf4)

Images of the street where most actions happened:
http://www.ap3.ee/Default2.aspx?ArticleID=...05-c2e2f13ea1d8 (http://www.ap3.ee/Default2.aspx?ArticleID=9ba481cc-1937-4378-ae05-c2e2f13ea1d8)

Government decided to stop selling alcohol in Tallinn until the 2nd of may, hoping that it would calm the situation...

This is just unbelievable. Should someone be interested, I´ll update you when things are more clear.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Please keep us updated comrade.

[Cheung Mo]

When Russian chauvinism collides with petty ethnic nationalism, good people who have been conditioned to do stupid, revolting things are going to suffer. I can't wrap my head around anyone politically advanced witnessing this shit and opposing revolutionary internationalism: It is tragic that the people of Latvia, Estonia, Ukrainia, and a number of other Eastern European countries are unable to look into the eyes of their Russian neighbours without seeing Stalin or some despotic Tsar; likewise, Russians are being plundered by national and international bourgeois interests who are distracting them for their lot by appealing to such base tendencies as anti-semitism, homophobia, and Russian chauvinism (to the point that even the leadership of the Communist Party continues to preach from Stalin's totalitarian grimoire all while running the same goddamn oligarchs and millionaires that we have come to associate with Yeltsin and Putin and resurrecting Lenin as an authoritarian and chauvinistic megalomaniac who preached Russian Manifest Destiny as opposed to a leading light in the vanguard of international liberation) so as to exacerbate all the tensions that are taking place in Eastern Europe. Fascism, Stalinism, and neo-liberal capitalism have combined to bring great suffering to that corner of the world.

[OneBrickOneVoice]

totalitarianism is bullshit. It's a capitalist attempt to turn the soviet union into nazi germany and is sick to see other so called "leftists" use it in that term, without any damn relevence to the subject. Do you always have to fucking pop up and be like "Oh this all happened because Stalin was a dickhead?" we get it! Now post something of substance

I mean this thread is about an anti-fascist riot in defence of the greatest anti-fascist army to exsist and all you say is "stalin is totalitarian Omg XZomg" <_<

to the OP, keep us updated&#33; This is great fucking news.

[cantona]

Sorry, I lost my internet connection...

Around 300 were arrested over night. Police ran out of vans and space to put the arrested people so they just handcuffed them to lattern posts on the streets.

Tens of protesters and pigs were injured, one protester died in hospital.


A crisis commitee gathered this morning and decided to remove the monument as soon as possible, by 9 am, it´s already done. Nobody knows where the statue has been taken to.

[cantona]

Russian government decided to end all diplomatic relationships with Estonia.
A bit funny considering that the Russian government itself has removed several soviet monuments in recent weeks, using violence to get rid of those protecting them.

[cantona]

Pro-monument youth collective "Night Watch", sent out a press release promising mass riots and blaming the government of psychoterrorism.

[cantona]

Angry crowds are gathering infront of the parliament building, police are building fences around it. The Night Watch is demanding the governemt to resign.

[cantona]

Tonight there were more clashes between all 3 sides...bus stops, windows city council building and different shops attacked, cars looted...

Police used water-cannons, tens are injured and hundreds arrested.

Protesters aren´t showing any signs of calming down.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

FPM statement on this in English (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/fpm/page.php?280) & in Estonian (http://www.fpm-mgl.org/estonian/1.html).

Estonian / English .pdf of a leaflet containing that statement. (http://www.fpm-mgl.org/estonianfly.pdf)

[Luís Henrique]

Originally posted by [email protected] 26, 2007 11:14 pm
...no idea why they don´t use masks.
Because they no longer fear the police?

Luís Henrique

[cantona]

From 2 am to now nothing much has happened. Last night the riots spread to eastern-estonian cities Kohtla-Järve and Jõhvi, around 100 were arrested...the total number of arrested are around 1000.

Few "estonian" monuments, such as monument of a writer Tammsaare, Sinimäe memorial for the Estonians who fought for nazi Germany in the world war and the memorial complex for the ferry "Estonia" that sank in 1994, have been vandalized.

[sexyguy]

Originally posted by [email protected] 27, 2007 01:20 am
totalitarianism is bullshit. It&#39;s a capitalist attempt to turn the soviet union into nazi germany and is sick to see other so called "leftists" use it in that term, without any damn relevence to the subject. Do you always have to fucking pop up and be like "Oh this all happened because Stalin was a dickhead?" we get it&#33; Now post something of substance



I was beginning to think I was the only one who had noticed this.

[cantona]

It´s 9pm soon, local time, and the city is quiet...no meetings are being held at the moment. Police are still ready, though. Those who were arrested on thursday are being released as they can´t keep people at prisons for more than 48 hours unless charges are pressed. Selling alcohol is banned everywhere until 2nd of may.

[Spike]

totalitarian
That term has no meaning. It is used by the bourgeois media in order to slander a country that will not yield to foreign industrialists.

When Russian chauvinism
That is absurd. There is nothing chauvinist about the outrage on the part of the Russians about the statue.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

It can&#39;t be denied that the capitalist Russian government is trying to use this for its own ends (not in the least by boosting nationalism); but the anger of Russians and others in Estonia, Russia and around the world is completely justified. The imperialists and counter-revolutionaries are dancing on the corpses of the shattered workers states in Europe as they push through their reactionary agenda.

[cantona]

Situation in Tallinn is calm, no idea what´s going on in other cities though. Can´t trust media either, if you believe all the rumours that the blood-thirsty mainstream media is feeding you, you´d think that Stalin with Godzilla have occupied Estonia using molotov cocktails, axes and grenades, establishing an anarcho-fascist-national-communist dictatorship.

Websites of government institution, the Reform Party and police have been attacked...
Police is calling out civilians to join their ranks as some sort of "assistant police". To join, one has to send police an e-mail or call them, saying your name, age, profession and location.

As for russian government...well, Putin and Co. are really pissing everyone off with their hypocritic and dumb comments.

[cantona]

Nine graves have found so far, the statue is in its new place at the military graveyard.

http://postimees.ee/foto/6/5/949564635f80a293ca.jpg

By the way, happy May day to everyone for tommorow&#33; Be sure to fuck shit up :P

[Stakhanov]

I am afraid the rioters were motivated by nationalist pride rather than desire to respect the heroes who fought against Fascism.

[cantona]

Yeah well, as a stalinist you should know a lot about chauvinism and national pride, lol.
Two posts and already restricted, that´s fast :D

[The Author]

Amazing how the bourgeoisie of Estonia took steps to rewrite history and practically negated the role of the U.S.S.R. in its liberation from fascism, not to mention throwing mud on its historical role of liberating the proletariat of the Baltic countries from authoritarian bourgeois dictatorships before the war.

The whole relocation agenda reminds me of what happened to Enver Hoxha in Albania.

[cantona]

We´re now officially a police state.

Not only around 2000 people have signed up for the assitant police program but police also banned all meetings in Tallinn, even those that are pre-registred and were first allowed by the police and the city.

[Taevus]

From me, it looked like an excuse for Russians to go around looting. "Yes, we will not stop you taking out the statue, it is a symbol of our.....oh wait, is that Hugo Boss?". *roll eyes*

I support the relocation of it (yes, for those who didn&#39;t actually read, they just wanted to move the statue, not destroy)

[cantona]

Originally posted by [email protected] 01, 2007 08:17 am
From me, it looked like an excuse for Russians to go around looting. "Yes, we will not stop you taking out the statue, it is a symbol of our.....oh wait, is that Hugo Boss?". *roll eyes*

Yeah, for a lot of protesters it was like that, no doubt, can´t say I mind Hugo Boss getting loss of millions of kroons, though :P

[Pirate Utopian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 01, 2007 09:17 am
I support the relocation of it (yes, for those who didn&#39;t actually read, they just wanted to move the statue, not destroy)
Why? they are basically saying the fight against the Nazi&#39;s isnt important enough for their capital.

[Taevus]

Originally posted by Big Manifesto+May 01, 2007 10:45 am--> (Big Manifesto @ May 01, 2007 10:45 am)
[email protected] 01, 2007 09:17 am
I support the relocation of it (yes, for those who didn&#39;t actually read, they just wanted to move the statue, not destroy)
Why? they are basically saying the fight against the Nazi&#39;s isnt important enough for their capital. [/b]
Well, in quite a few estonian POVs, it was just one nightmare after another, first the nazis, then the soviets. It must ruffle some feathers when there&#39;s a monument around for the &#39;saviours&#39; who sent off estonians to siberia to die and the rest. The government&#39;s reason for its relocation was that it was becoming a place of &#39;unrest&#39; beween Russian nationalists, who see the statue as something to be proud of, and Estonian nationalists, who think of it as a reminder of soviet occupation and the past.

[Avtomat_Icaro]

Its all about perception I guess. While most leftists would agree that the Nazis were bad, they tend to ignore the fact that the USSR was imperialist as well, turning Eastern Europe into their backyard in a similar manner as the US used Latin America as its backyard. Now that the USSR collapsed people in Eastern Europe feel liberated. The "liberation" by the USSR from the Nazis by them isnt viewed as liberation, but as yet another occupation.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Well, in quite a few estonian POVs, it was just one nightmare after another, first the nazis, then the soviets. It must ruffle some feathers when there&#39;s a monument around for the &#39;saviours&#39; who sent off estonians to siberia to die and the rest. The government&#39;s reason for its relocation was that it was becoming a place of &#39;unrest&#39; beween Russian nationalists, who see the statue as something to be proud of, and Estonian nationalists, who think of it as a reminder of soviet occupation and the past.

Nevermind that it&#39;s a far-right government, that not only Russian-speakers defended the statue, that statues to fascists remain, that veterans that fought on the fascist side now get the same benefits as the heros who fought against fascism, that no matter some people&#39;s "POVs" the Red Army destroyed the Nazi plague and liberated Europe from its bloody claws, that a reactionary tide has swept eastern and nothern Europe, criminalizing the working class movement and whitewashing history...

None of that matters. :rolleyes:


Now that the USSR collapsed people in Eastern Europe feel liberated.

Yeah, especially the millions upon millions whos living standards have since plummeted at a rate unrivaled in history.

[Avtomat_Icaro]

Yeah, especially the millions upon millions whos living standards have since plummeted at a rate unrivaled in history.
There is a difference between feeling like being in charge of your own country and the living standards of a country. The Soviets taking over Eastern Europe is by most people living there not viewed as a "liberation" as you (and many leftists) would like to view it...

[which doctor]

What&#39;s this I hear about an expected revolt to occur in Estonia on May 9th?

[cantona]

Rumours are that Russian Liberation Front has been formed, and they´ll start armed revolt, hoping for the army to attack them, giving Russians an excuse to send their army marching into Estonia to protect their people and finally, occupiying Estonia...I really doubt there´s any truth in it, though. Still, more riots and protests are prolly going to take place on the 8th and 9th of may. Not only because of the monument but because of the historical and recent past of the day.

All this shit about the Bronze Soldier started on the 9th of may last year.
Some 50-100 russian war-veterans came to celebrate the end of WWII next to the monument, like they´ve been doing for years. In the middle of the party, 2 estonian patridiots came with an estonian flag and a plackard saying "remember, this soldier occupied us". The crowd ofcourse got mad and police took the estonians away, for their own security. A whole year of provocations, fights and demonstrations of both sides happened near the statue.

[cantona]

Youth movement "Nashi" aka "Putin-Jugend", stormed Estonian embassy in Moscow during a press-conference, trying to attack the embassador. Nashi has been blocking the house and abusing the workers of the embassy for several days now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6615193.stm

[manic expression]

Originally posted by Taevus+May 01, 2007 01:15 pm--> (Taevus @ May 01, 2007 01:15 pm)
Originally posted by Big [email protected] 01, 2007 10:45 am

[email protected] 01, 2007 09:17 am
I support the relocation of it (yes, for those who didn&#39;t actually read, they just wanted to move the statue, not destroy)
Why? they are basically saying the fight against the Nazi&#39;s isnt important enough for their capital.
Well, in quite a few estonian POVs, it was just one nightmare after another, first the nazis, then the soviets. It must ruffle some feathers when there&#39;s a monument around for the &#39;saviours&#39; who sent off estonians to siberia to die and the rest. The government&#39;s reason for its relocation was that it was becoming a place of &#39;unrest&#39; beween Russian nationalists, who see the statue as something to be proud of, and Estonian nationalists, who think of it as a reminder of soviet occupation and the past. [/b]
Forgive me if I&#39;m wrong, but Estonia has always seemed pretty right wing in general. They went into a lassaiz-faire route almost immediately after the USSR fell.

To be perfectly honest, I don&#39;t care if it "ruffles a few feathers" that they didn&#39;t like the Soviet era. Is this any better? It&#39;s almost a civil war now, Estonia just shut down their Russian consulate, people have been killed. From what I can tell, this is the fault of the Estonian nationalists, why the hell are they deserving of any sympathy?

In Estonia, we are seeing reactionary behavior at its finest (from the anti-statue factions).

[BreadBros]

Russia has now halted oil/fuel deliveries to Estonia.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_n...07050313625.xml (http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Rest+of+the+World&month=May2007&file=World_News2007050313625.xml)

[Genosse Kotze]

Kõikide maade proletaarlased, ühinege&#33; I&#39;m very excited about all this, I sure hope Putin doesn&#39;t invade though.

[Taevus]

Originally posted by manic expression+May 02, 2007 05:00 pm--> (manic expression @ May 02, 2007 05:00 pm)
Originally posted by [email protected] 01, 2007 01:15 pm

Originally posted by Big [email protected] 01, 2007 10:45 am

[email protected] 01, 2007 09:17 am
I support the relocation of it (yes, for those who didn&#39;t actually read, they just wanted to move the statue, not destroy)
Why? they are basically saying the fight against the Nazi&#39;s isnt important enough for their capital.
Well, in quite a few estonian POVs, it was just one nightmare after another, first the nazis, then the soviets. It must ruffle some feathers when there&#39;s a monument around for the &#39;saviours&#39; who sent off estonians to siberia to die and the rest. The government&#39;s reason for its relocation was that it was becoming a place of &#39;unrest&#39; beween Russian nationalists, who see the statue as something to be proud of, and Estonian nationalists, who think of it as a reminder of soviet occupation and the past.
Forgive me if I&#39;m wrong, but Estonia has always seemed pretty right wing in general. They went into a lassaiz-faire route almost immediately after the USSR fell.

To be perfectly honest, I don&#39;t care if it "ruffles a few feathers" that they didn&#39;t like the Soviet era. Is this any better? It&#39;s almost a civil war now, Estonia just shut down their Russian consulate, people have been killed. From what I can tell, this is the fault of the Estonian nationalists, why the hell are they deserving of any sympathy?

In Estonia, we are seeing reactionary behavior at its finest (from the anti-statue factions). [/b]
Oh yeah, it is indeed fairly right wing. I wonder why that is? :rolleyes:

Had there not been a Soviet Era, there wouldn&#39;t be any "civil war" now. Estonia was just a country the nazis and soviets fought for to increase their standing. Liberation? Yeah...like the "liberation" of Iraq....

[cantona]

Originally posted by keine Kaufhalle mehr&#33;@May 03, 2007 02:25 am
Kõikide maade proletaarlased, ühinege&#33;

:lol:
Are you from estonia or where did you get that from?

[BreadBros]

Anymore news?

[cantona]

Riots are going on in the internet now...According to our government most of the attacks on .ee websites are coming from Kreml´s IP-adresses. Nashi has stopped blockading estonian embassy after the EU, UN, NATO and USA have said they support estonian government...

Possible leftist/anarchist demo on the 8th, possible demo/riots on the 9th.

Russian market is boycotting estonian products.

[BreadBros]

May I ask what your opinion, as a leftist in Estonia, is on all this?

[cantona]

I´ve been trying to avoid picking sides in this conflict. I´m an (anarcho)communist and the situation is rather frustrating to say the least. I understand both sides and blame the conflict on the government. Over 15 years, they´ve been talking about "integration" and whatnot, but there is no dialouge at all, between the russian and estonian communities. It´s not integration, its "estoniafication" of russian community.

When riots kicked off, I was in the middle of it, I saw it all happening and I fully supported the people. But now...seeing russians nationalists shouting "Rossija&#33; Rossija&#33;" and estonians "Eesti&#33; Eesti&#33;". Depressing. Like the conflict and riots in Paris few years ago, the thing that pulled the trigger and started the riots was just an inducement, the real problems lie deeper...Russian minority has the right to stand for themselves, but thanks to the nationalists it seems like a plain-stupid national conflict now...

As for the monument, all leftists wanted it to stay at its old place. From anarchists to professors (there was a letter called "Letter of 12 Professors", by 12 most respect estonian professors from most respected universities, warning asking the government not to move it). Government avoided it and now they got what they wanted...

Anarchists and libertarian leftists are trying to bring in a 3rd view to the whole situation, to show that its not just russian nationalists and estonian nationalists seeing the problems in our society, hopefuly they can do it.

I won´t even start about Putin and the way Russia is using this situation for their own good...

[cantona]

Video summary of the riots:
http://www.planetziggurat.com/index.php?pa...w&vid_id=100016 (http://www.planetziggurat.com/index.php?page=videos&section=view&vid_id=100016)

Don´t mind the music :D