03 June 2008, 20:27
Moscow: mass fight with participation of Armenian natives
Today at night, a mass fight with participation of Armenian natives burst out in the Stavropolskaya Street of Moscow. The law enforcement bodies do not exclude the ethnic pretext of the conflict, although there is no official confirmation.
By the official data, some 20 persons were fighting, by unofficial sources - about 200. According to the law enforcement bodies, some 5-6 participants were detained and brought to the local militia station.
"It was a fight between local football teams. No weapons, including traumatic pistols, fire-arm cartridges, baseball bats, etc. were confiscated from the fighters. As a result of the fight, 5 persons have suffered, all of them from minor beatings, nobody was hospitalized," reported the press service of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Southeast District of Moscow.
However, the "Interfax" was informed by a reliable source in the law enforcement bodies that the fight could quite well have interethnic context, not just a showdown of football teams.
According to the IA "Regnum", the fight was initiated by local football fans and representatives of the Transcaucasian Diaspora, mainly Armenians. It is also reported that it was a pre-planned meeting - there was an arrangement between the groups on the time and place of the fight.
