Some 1,000 nationalists based in, around St. Petersburg - police
ST. PETERSBURG. April 2 (Interfax) - Police in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region have records on almost 1,000 nationalists and about 1,300 extremists in St. Petersburg and Leningrad region, the regional police chief Sergei Umnov said.
"The leaders of the nationalist movements in the region organize so-called people's gatherings, Russian runs and marches, and engage young people in their activity. They have about 1,000 active members, not counting the active fanatics, of whom there are five thousand," Umnov told the city's legislative assembly on Wednesday.
Nationalists carry out propaganda of intolerance towards migrants, promote radical nationalist ideas, call for violence, he said.
Police focus in particular on "home-grown extremists," informal nationalist youth organizations, he said. The region has over 20 of such organizations with a total number of active members at around 1,300.
Crimes committed by foreign nationals in the region rose by 34% last year, Umnov said. In 2013, immigrants committed 734 grave and very grave crimes, including 43 murders, 62 instances of causing grievous bodily harm and 28 rapes, the regional police chief said.
