Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian authorities have cracked down on politicians, journalists and anti-war activists, but now people fear that authorities will attack alternative spaces after patrons of punk and hipster bars were threatened and forced to sing pro-Kremlin songs, he writes Moscow Times. About 50 people, including bar staff and patrons, were detained and questioned by the Federal Security Service (FSB).

Underdog, a small bar in the central Moscow district of Kitay-Gorod, was packed and noisy on Tuesday night, despite a violent police raid a few days earlier, following a similar raid on another bar, La Virgen Taqueria, on Friday night.

A video released by the state-run Moscow news agency shows Underdog customers being forced to sing patriotic songs. Other sites say they were threatened with a taser.

Lawyer Konstantin Yerokhin, who represents the Underdog patrons, told The Moscow Times that police in balaclavas forced people in two bars to unlock their phones and show them if they had tattoos, and confiscated two POS in the bars.

The raids are believed to be linked to a since-deleted social media post by La Virgen Taqueria last summer announcing that it was selling a vinyl record to raise money for the Kyiv Angels, a Ukrainian charity that helps both civilians and the military. personnel.

Over the weekend, the entrance to the bar was also painted with the letters “ZOV”, a pro-war symbol inspired by the insignia painted on Russian cars in Ukraine.

After the raids, Pavlo Kosov, one of the owners of La Virgen Taqueria, said on Instagram that he was distancing himself from the business to protect staff.

“We do not want our sites to be associated with any illegal actions directed against our country or fascist views,” Underdog said in a social media post on Tuesday, referring to Russian officials who say Ukraine is run by Nazis. .

He added that the bar “never collected money to send to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

Russian police raids “can target anyone.”

Staff at popular nearby bar and cafe Sur have voiced their support for Underdog following the raids.

“The fact that they were attacked after so many months is a serious warning that anyone can be a target,” Sur owner Nikita Fomkin told The Moscow Times on Tuesday, adding that Sur’s footfall has not decreased since the raid.

It is not yet clear why police decided to raid Underdog and La Virgen Taqueria so soon after the social media post.

In July, the owners of La Virgen Taqueria said the post about the alleged fundraiser had been posted by hackers. A few days later, Underdog announced a fundraiser to support the “millions of refugees” in Russia and the Russian Red Cross.

It seems that law enforcement agencies in Russia are pursuing those suspected of supporting Ukrainian causes or transferring money to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, a Russian woman was detained on suspicion of treason for allegedly sending money to the Ukrainian army.

If found guilty, she faces up to 20 years in prison.

Raids at bars like the Underdog and La Virgen Taqueria, as well as other cultural spaces and places where talks and exhibitions are held, seem to be on the rise.

About 20 bars in St. Petersburg were closed by authorities on Wednesday for allegedly involving minors in “anti-social activities,” local news station Fontanka reported.

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