Outrage in Saratov Region: Protests Against Roma Community Follow Deadly Car Accident

Hundreds of inhabitants in the southern Saratov region conducted demonstrations against the local Romani population after an alleged incident involving a member of their community in a deadly traffic accident, local media reported on Wednesday.

A 15-year-old moped rider lost his life in a crash with a car on Tuesday morning in the village of Podlesnoye, situated along the Volga River approximately 75 kilometers (46 miles) northeast of Saratov city.

Authorities apprehended the 36-year-old driver of the car, who local media identified as a member of the Romani community.

Around 200 locals gathered to protest, calling for the removal of the Roma and accusing them of various anti-social actions, including drug trafficking, disturbing the peace, and operating vehicles without licenses, as reported by the Saratov-based outlet Vzglyad Info.

“We’re not nationalists, but their behavior forces us to react,” one protester expressed to the outlet.

Footage released by Vzglyad Info depicted residents confronting law enforcement officials and expressing their dissatisfaction. “We would be pleased if you removed them all,” one demonstrator declared.

According to reports, the head of the local municipal district informed the police chief and regional prosecutor that the area houses “individuals who often break the law.”

Residents told the outlet that “most” of the Roma in the village left following the protests.

This wave of unrest follows an incident less than a year ago, when a murder in the Chelyabinsk region prompted riots and police actions against members of the Romani community in that area.