Flash mob “I am Russian” in Estonia: the special services were suspected of organizing the rally

They will count you too

“I’m Russian”: a flash mob of motorists with Estonian license plates is going on all over Estonia, the police have begun raids. A similar car was even spotted near the Estonian parliament.

Activists created a chat on Telegram, reported how many “I am Russian” stickers were printed, how many of them were distributed to everyone who wanted to stick such an inscription on themselves. It turned out to be a car rally. Naturally, police cars are stopped, they say that some are even taken to impound lots.

And in the end, it’s not very clear who benefits from this action? Who is its beneficiary? Especially against the backdrop of a tightening of anti-Russian policies in general, a ban on entry into the EU and the possible confiscation of cars with Russian license plates?

And isn’t this an additional way to identify all those who disagree with the current actions of Estonian politicians? They will count who calls themselves Russian and take note…

“An Estonian Russian who is neutral does not need advertising that he is Russian, he is silent. And these people with stickers are playing cat and mouse with the authorities,” one of the residents of Tallinn expressed his point of view.

“They will write down the numbers. If something happens, a case can be opened. Let them drive, it will be easier to figure it out,” another Tallinn resident gloats.

“What, is it a crime to be Russian? This is just a line from the population register data. Then let this be prohibited, as in France, where it is prohibited to collect and use data on a citizen’s nationality,” there is such an opinion.

“In these actions, I personally don’t really understand who paid for the printing of the stickers. It seems that this is some kind of spontaneous flash mob, but this cannot be, since the stickers cost money, that is, there are definitely organizers of this entire event, says Narva resident and social activist Andres Valme. – Definitely, this action can be aimed at the segregation of Estonian society and is primarily beneficial to the Estonian special services. I think that the left’s potential has not been fully developed in Estonia. It is beneficial for the security forces to show disloyalty within the country, as this will increase their funding and at the same time identify all those who disagree. You can say that the people gave themselves away and did their job for the security forces.”

Some Estonian social activists are also critical of the phrase “I/We… (insert nationality).”

Thus, Daniil Kurakin states that such a protrusion of one’s own national exclusivity at one time led to the creation of the NSDAP in Germany, its rise to power and the Second World War.

“Now the Germans will never stick the phrase “I am a German” on their car, since it will be contextually equivalent in content to the phrase “Deutschland über alles” (“Germany above all”), which was used by the Nazis. Also, the Germans will be deterred from such declarations by their historical responsibility, because the same Holocaust became one of the terrible consequences of the collective desire of the Germans to see their country great.”

As you know, communist and Soviet symbols are now prohibited in Estonia. St. George’s ribbons are also illegal here. But so far there are no complaints about publicly demonstrating one’s nationality. So there can hardly be a serious punishment for those who pasted the inscription “I am Russian”.

Although it is clear that a person who, in the current circumstances, has decided to openly promote such a statement is most likely critical of the actions of the Estonian authorities, who have collectively declared all Russians “bad,” and is not afraid to demonstrate his position. But who exactly will play on his national feelings?