The Russian republic of Dagestan was the scene of a violent protest this Sunday (29) after a crowd invaded Makhachkala airport in search of Israeli passengers, who were arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv.
According to Russian authorities, nine police officers were injured during the operation to remove protesters from the scene, among more than 20 reports of aggression, and 60 people were detained.
“More than 150 active participants in the riots have been identified and 60 have been detained. The airport is already under control of security forces,” the Russian Interior Ministry said.
Hundreds of people invaded the airport and its runways after calls posted on Telegram channels to board flights arriving from Israel in protest against the conflict between the Jewish State and the terrorist group Hamas.
According to the Russian press, the crowd shouted anti-Semitic slogans and “Allah is great.” Gunshots were also heard.
Some of the attackers ran to the airstrip and tried to board a plane arriving from Tel Aviv, according to videos posted on social media.
Several publications show the action of criminals knocking down doors in the terminal and surrounding a plane on the runway. Some protesters carried flags in defense of the Palestinian cause.
In one of the videos, a person carried a sign that said “child killers have no place in Dagestan.”
The Russian aviation agency announced that the airport will remain closed until this Tuesday (31).
In response to the violent acts, Israel called on Russia to protect “all Israeli citizens and all Jews”.
The US government also condemned “anti-Semitic demonstrations in Dagestan”, said Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council.
The governor of the republic, Sergei Melikov, called on the participants of the riots in Makhachkala this Monday (30) to “wash the dishonor” in the war in Ukraine and accused Kiev of being behind the protests.
“I feel ashamed of yesterday’s events. (…) If any of the participants in the riots wants to wash away their dishonor by joining a volunteer battalion or signing a contract with the army, I will be grateful,” Melikov told Russian public television.
“Our enemies, detractors of our country, are making attempts to destabilize the situation in Dagestan, including using prohibited methods related to inciting ethnic hatred and interreligious problems,” he said.
According to Melikov, one of the Telegram channels where the call for protests was published is managed from abroad.
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