Hundreds of people have stormed the major airport in Russia’s Dagestan region, apparently to protest against the arrival of a flight from Israel amid the battle in Gaza.
On Sunday, the crowd broke past security, with some making it onto the runway of Makhachkala airport before they were removed by security forces.
Russia’s interior ministry said in a statement, “More than 150 active participants in the unrest have been identified, 60 of them have been arrested.”
Nine police officers were injured in conflicts with the crowd, including two who were receiving treatment at a hospital.
Local news reports said that the airliner in question belonged to Russian carrier Red Wings.
Social media footage showed fearful passengers running to re-enter the plane amid commotion on the runway of Makhachkala Airport.
Videos also showed the protesting crowd smashing down glass doors and running through the airport, with some chanting anti-Jewish slogans. On the landing field, some were spotted waving Palestinian flags, and others checking the passports of arriving passengers.
Several local Telegram channels also showed pictures and videos of dozens of people waiting outside the airport apparently to stop cars.
Another group was seen attempting to topple over a patrol truck. One protester could be spotted in the videos carrying a sign reading: “Child killers have no place in Dagestan”.
The incident comes as Israel pushes forward with extended ground operations inside the Gaza Strip, even as serious aerial bombardment continues. Officials in Gaza say more than 8,000 Palestinians, including 3,324 children, have been killed since the war started on October 7, when Hamas, the group running the blockaded enclave launched a shock attack inside Israel. At least 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in the Hamas attack, according to Israeli officials.
In a statement released on Sunday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that Israel “expects the Russian law enforcement authorities to protect the protection of all Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they may be and to act resolutely against the rioters and against the wild incitement directed against Jews and Israelis”.
Several Israeli media outlets reported, quoting Israeli security officials, that the Israeli passengers were isolated and guarded at Makhachkala airport after the incident in Dagestan. According to the reports, the plan was to fly them directly to Moscow.
Russia’s civilian aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, reported that late on Sunday that the airfield had been cleared of unauthorized people but that the airport would tentatively remain closed to incoming aircraft until November 6.
While expressing support for Gaza, the regional government in Muslim-majority Dagestan demanded that citizens stay calm and not participate in such protests.
The government cautioned the protesters on Telegram “not to continue illegal acts and not to interfere with the work of airport employees”.
The statement added: “It is not easy for each of us to stand and watch the inhumane massacre of a civilian population – the Palestinian people.
At the same time, we urge residents of the republic not to succumb to provocations of destructive groups and not to create panic in society.”
The Supreme Mufti of Dagestan, Sheikh Akhmad Afandi, had also called on residents to stop the unrest at the airport.
He said in a video published on Telegram, “You are mistaken. This issue cannot be resolved in this way. We understand and perceive your indignation very painfully… We will solve this issue differently. Not with rallies, but appropriately. Maximum patience and calm for you.”
