Russian Nationalists Use American Holiday to Protest America

BOULDER, Colorado -- A reported 20,000 people showed up for a protest in front of the American embassy in Moscow on Sunday. The event was organized by the government-backed nationalist youth group Nashi, and participants were shipped in from all over Russia to attend. Here is what one friend of mine, who lives on Novy Arbat in downtown Moscow had to say about the event:

It was so big that I slept through it in my apartment 100 meters away....
Seriously, I don't know whether to brag about that or resign as a journalist because I didn't even know about it until it was over. Of course, I did see police all around Noviy Arbat walking home, but that's about it...

So, they may not have toppled the American imperialists from the pinnacle of global power, but they did do some mean pumpkin carving. Each jack-o-lantern was meant to represent a victim of "American aggression." This one was made in honor of Yefim Bikoyev, who was "shot by a Georgian sniper" in the brief Russian-Georgian war of the past summer. I am not exactly sure how America is responsible for that one, nor do I think anyone would appreciate being commemorated by a cartoon face with X-ed out eyes and your tounge hanging out.


This pumpkin accuses the US of the murder of Ruslan Yamadayev, a Chechen warlord and chief rival of Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov. Yamadayev was gunned down in central Moscow on September 24, and anyone with a brain is pretty sure that the young Mr. Kadyrov probably had something to do with it, not the Americans.


Lenta.ru has posted a slideshow of the demonstration and all the pumpkins.