Opposition to the War in Chechnya: Antimilitarist Organizing in Russia

Patriotism, or the devoted love of one’s country, is a phenomenon that can be used in the service of the state. Often, during wartime, the militarized aspect of patriotism is stressed. The state puts out a message calling for unanimity among the population, preferably unanimity in support of state policy and may try to restrict media criticism of state policies. This has been the case during the second phase of Russia’s war in Chechnya, which started in 1999), for instance, when Russian journalists have been forbidden to talk to representatives of Chechnya’s rebels, who the Russian government deems “bandits” and “terrorists.” For journalists to do so would be in violation of a Russian law on combating terrorism. Such censorship bolsters the hegemony of the patriotic rhetoric that the state is seeking to uphold. […]

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