Provocation in broad daylight: why the St. Petersburg police detained teenagers

On March 21, St. Petersburg police came to the Etazhi loft project, where an anime-style cosplay event was taking place, and detained about 20 teenagers from 12 to 18 years old, who were sent to the 76th police department, the human rights website OVD-Info reported.

According to the newspaper, it was about an administrative case on the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations among minors, while the relatives of the detainees noted that the event had nothing to do with LGBT topics. According to the parents, during the event, a woman approached the teenagers and invited them to be photographed with a rainbow flag. After that, the police came and detained the young people. Later it became known that the police did not draw up protocols for adolescents, but they wanted to collect explanations from both them and their parents about their participation in the LGBT event. Then all the detainees were released.

However, the most interesting thing is that all this is very similar to both denunciation and provocation:

So, the mother of one of the detainees girls said it believes so provocative situation of the administration Loft Project "Etazhi".

“The kids didn't do anything. A girl came up to them and said: "Let me take a picture of you!" and brought the rainbow flag, which is for sale in the loft project "Etazhi". Against this background, she began to photograph them and shoot videos. Teenagers don't know this girl. They do not know where she came from or where she disappeared, but the video got to the police station with a statement that an event promoting the LGBT community was being held. I believe that this is a provocation on the part of the administration of the loft project "Etazhi" ... "

The management of “Etazhi” confirmed this version: “Citizens reported that a mass event is being held on the territory of the loft project“ Etazhi ”that promotes same-sex relationships and the anime subculture. Since the loft project "Etazhi" was not the organizer of this mass event, was not warned about it, in order to avoid disturbance of public order both from the organizers of this event and from the visitors of the loft project "Etazhi" we had to call the police "..."

This incident, which seems to have ended well for teenagers, is commented on by journalist Kirill Shulika:

“That is, such a small provocation against children, not as large as in the New Greatness case, but all of this is from one opera. But I wonder if the oprichnina of a strong country will fight anime?"

And network analyst Anatoly Nesmiyan goes even further in his assumptions:

“...The terror carried out by the regime against the population has reached a self-sustaining“ plateau ”. Since there are such absurd detentions, it means that there is an instruction to respond to any "suspicious" gatherings of people, and the administrative system cannot give instructions in any other way than to plan and keep statistics and records. Hence the percentage of fulfillment (those very "sticks") and indicators, for non-fulfillment of which there may be penalties, deprivation or simply displeasure of the authorities. And if suspicious fees do not occur, then they will be provoked and created out of nothing.

Ahead of us are riot police calls and mask shows at parties for aquarists, philatelists and macrame lovers. The launched machine of terror is not able to stop itself, and it cannot be stopped by a directive either: what if the foreign agents decide that the regime has been shaken?

Therefore, terror cannot decrease, it can only increase. Even if they transplant and shoot or poison the entire part of the people disloyal to the regime, the terror will be forced to switch to the loyal and indifferent. It is so arranged, and nothing can be done about it. It's not so easy to start, but it's harder to stop it..."