Hundreds of people stormed the main airport in Russia’s Dagestan region and the landing strip on Sunday, shouting anti-Semitic slogans and searching for passengers arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv, Israel, Russian news agencies and social media reported.
According to Russian news reports, the crowd surrounded the plane, which belonged to the Russian airline Red Wings.
Authorities closed the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of the predominantly Muslim region, and police moved into the facility. According to Dagestan’s Ministry of Health, more than 20 people were injured, two of whom were in critical condition. It was said that police officers and civilians were among the injured.
The Interior Ministry of Russia’s North Caucasus Federal District, where Dagestan is located, said CCTV footage would be used to establish the identity of those who stormed the airport and that those involved would be brought to justice.
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The Russian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Monday: “More than 150 active participants in the riots have been identified (and) 60 of them have been arrested,” Agence France-Presse reported.
Videos on social media showed some in the crowd waving Palestinian flags and others attempting to overturn a police car. Anti-Semitic slogans could be heard and some in the crowd checked the passports of arriving passengers, apparently to find out whether they were Israelis.
“The United States strongly condemns the anti-Semitic protests in Dagestan, Russia,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement. “The United States stands unequivocally with the entire Jewish community as we witness a global rise in anti-Semitism. There is never an excuse or justification for anti-Semitism.”
In a statement Sunday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel “expects Russian law enforcement agencies to protect the safety of all Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they are, and to take strong action against the rioters and against the wild incitement against them.” “Jews go ahead.” and Israelis.”
Netanyahu’s office added that the Israeli ambassador to Russia was working with Russia to ensure the safety of Israelis and Jews.
People in the crowd walk and shout anti-Semitic slogans at an airfield in Makhachkala, Russia, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. AP
While the regional Dagestani government expressed support for Palestinians in Gaza, it appealed to citizens to remain calm and not take part in such protests.
“We call on the residents of the republic to treat the current situation in the world with understanding. Federal authorities and international organizations are making every effort to bring about a ceasefire against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip… we call on the residents of the republic not to give in to the destructive provocations of groups and not to create panic in society,” the Dagestan government wrote on Telegram.
The Supreme Mufti of Dagestan, Sheikh Achmad Afandi, called on residents to end the unrest at the airport.
“You are wrong. This problem cannot be solved this way. We understand and feel your outrage very painfully. … We will solve this problem differently. Not with rallies, but appropriately. Maximum patience and calm to you,” he said in a video posted on Telegram.
Dagestan Governor Sergei Melikov promised consequences for anyone involved in the violence.
“The actions of those who gathered at Makhachkala airport today constitute a gross violation of the law! …What happened at our airport is outrageous and should be properly assessed by law enforcement! And that will definitely happen!” he wrote on Telegram.
He called the protests a “knife in the back of those who gave their lives for the security of the homeland,” citing the 1999 war in Dagestan and the troops currently fighting in Ukraine.
Russia’s civil aviation agency Rosaviatsia later reported that the airfield had been cleared but that the airport would remain closed to incoming aircraft until November 6.