About 4,000 police and Interior Ministry troops will ensure security during Saturday's sanctioned rally in Moscow to commemorate the death of football fan Yegor Sviridov, police spokesman Viktor Biryukov said.
Sviridov was shot dead in a brawl with migrants from Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus region. The incident sparked race-hate riots and ethnic clashes across Russia in December, including a brawl between over 5,000 football supporters and police outside the Kremlin walls. Forty days have passed since his death.
"A control center to provide public security [during the Saturday's rally] has been set up. On the day, about 4,000 people will provide security including 2,500 policemen and 1,500 servicemen," Biryukov said.
Contrary to expectations, the rally is not being run by the Spartak Moscow fans group, Fratria, which Sviridov was a member of. In s a statement, Fratria said it refused to have anything to do with the gathering and pledged that its members would not be involved.
Fratria urged football fans to remain vigilant as "lots of provocateurs who want to make hay out of the tragedy to our comrade are currently positioned next to us."
One of the persons behind the rally is Artur Grohovsky, assistant chairman of the liberal Yabloko party. Earlier, Gorokhovsky told RIA Novosti that up to 4,500 people would take part in the rally and dismissed fears that the event could result in a new wave of race-hate violence.
The police are ready to clamp down on possible misdeeds not only at the Moscow's northwestern Kronshtadtsky Bulevard, where the participants of the remembrance rally intend to march, but all across the city if necessary, Biryukov said.
"Law enforcers will take any steps, of course keeping within the law, to stop crimes, including those aimed at launching provocations," Biryukov pledged.
MOSCOW, January 14 (RIA Novosti)
