Anime-inspired youth movement linked to wave of violence in Russia

More than 350 young brawlers have reportedly been detained in Moscow over the past few days

A wave of violence between groups of teenagers has hit Russia over the last week. The brawls, which broke out at malls, have been linked to the mysterious ‘PMC Ryodan’ youth movement that is believed to have been inspired by Japanese anime and manga.

According to multiple reports, the movement’s name comes from a gang in the show ‘Hunter x Hunter’. The members identify themselves by wearing clothes with a spider logo. The acronym ‘PMC’ (ChVK in Russian) means ‘private military company’.

Most Ryodan members are underage and are reported to have ‘bad blood’ with football hooligans. According to news website Baza, they also oppose migrants and people from Russia’s Muslim-majority Caucasus region.

The first widely-reported fight broke out on February 19 at the Aviapark mall in northern Moscow, according to Baza. The publication said several Ryodan members were involved in an argument with another group over chairs in a food court. Other reports said the fight erupted because of how one of the members of the group was dressed.

The teenagers reportedly agreed to meet for a showdown in the Aviapark the next day, as well as inside Marcos Mall, another popular spot in the northern part of the capital. Both confrontations were broken up by the police, Baza said. The Moscow Investigative Committee has also launched a probe into the matter.

Sauce:

https://www.rt.com/russia/572209-pmc-ryodan-russia-fights/