St. Petersburg Holds 'March Against Hate'

Ultrarightists march in Moscow on 4 November (AFP) St. Petersburg, 6 November 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Residents of the Russian city of St. Petersburg held a march today to call for an end to hate crimes.
RFE/RL's Russian Service reports that some 300 people participated in the march, including a number of African students and representatives from Yabloko and other political parties.

Many held placards that read "For a Russia without racism" and "Shame on a city that kills its guests." The gathering came a week after a 22-year-old Uzbek citizen was stabbed to death by three assailants near the city's People's Friendship University, where many foreigners study.

The march was held in honor of Nikolai Girenko, an antiracism activist who was shot dead at his home in 2004.

(RFE/RL's Russian Service, "St. Petersburg Times")