On the evening of September 18, near Krasnoyarsk, a group of about ten public activists relaxing at a libertarian-conservative camp Krest Kappelya was attacked by a similar number of rioters wearing balaclavas and armed with clubs. The camp participants were seriously beaten, and their phones, some belongings, and tents were seized and destroyed, and their passports were burned. The attackers did not hide the political nature of the assault.

One of those attacked managed to escape, take cover at an empty summer house, and contact the police. As far as I can tell, it is about a three-hour drive from the Emelyanovo district center to the camp site; therefore, the police made excuses until the last moment, unwilling to venture into the wilderness at night, and only deployed after the attack gained publicity. By the time the police arrived, the camp site was already empty, and by morning, details of the attack and photos of the beaten activists began to appear. They made their own way to the nearest settlement and from there were evacuated to Krasnoyarsk.

Information regarding exactly where the camp would take place was not readily available in open sources. On the camp’s VK public page, it was suggested to contact the organizers personally for additional information. Thus, potential attackers would have had to either organize surveillance or have prior data on the camp’s location.

I am posting all these details for the following understanding:

1. Your political activism can lead to an attack by paramilitaries.
2. In such an attack, it will be difficult for you to encounter an opponent who is fully prepared for combat. In this case, the attack happened in the dark on people sitting by a campfire with a guitar—an almost ideal setup for the attackers. Even if you happen to have a weapon with you, using it would be problematic, and after the attack, you will almost certainly lose it.
3. Meetings in deserted places are not conspiracy. If they set a goal to find you, they will find you, but you, conversely, will face problems when trying to escape from a deserted place.

What organizational conclusions can be drawn from this:

1. Small events for ten to fifteen people are better held in the city or, for example, at guarded recreation centers.
2. If you gather several dozen people, you can afford a tent camp, but then it is important to organize security yourselves. Sober and armed. Preferably with security credentials.
3. Local political paramilitaries, like the police, are tied to a specific territory. If you want a quiet, secluded vacation, go outside your region, and if you have federal notoriety, go abroad. Navalny was attacked when he flew from Moscow to vacation somewhere near Anapa, I believe. But if you have only caught the eye of the “E-center” in Krasnoyarsk, a trip to Tomsk will rid you of its attention.
4. VK is a terrible place for planning any kind of events. Total conspiracy is impossible, but increasing the cost of operational-search activities is within your power.