The Nashi Thought Police

It is always surreal when extremist hate groups engage in traditional, organized communications methods, like a Hezbollah newsletter, a FARC press release, or a Nashi press conference (not that I am suggesting similarities between these very different groups).  It is an interesting process to watch these jokers borrow certain vocabulary and attempt to forge legitimacy through these performances.  Here is a bit from an article on their latest press conference on their campaign of threats and implied violence against the journalist and former Russian political prisoner Alexander Podrabinek.  Even if the government lightly chides this behavior with a statement or two, this is a real embarrassment.

Nashi gave a press conference soon after Podrabinek spoke on Friday. They announced their intention to carry on the campaign until the journalist apologizes to World War II veterans.

“It’s a question of obtaining his apology for this outrage on the one hand, and on the other, which is no less important in our view, to find effective ways to fight irresponsible writers,” said Nashi leader Nikita Borovikov.

If writers are allowed further “impunity,” it could lead to new crimes against veterans, he said, emphasizing that Nashi only uses legal methods.