Madness Takes Its Toll

Siberia attack leaves one anti-nuclear protester dead, others injured

A pre-dawn attack on an anti-nuclear protest camp in Siberia this weekend left one person dead and several others seriously injured. Twenty suspects have been detained for the crime, in which attackers wearing dark clothes and masks brandished metal pipes, chanted nationalist slogans, attempted to set tents on fire, and beat the crap out of as many of the 21 encamped environmentalists -- most of whom were sleeping -- as they could get their hands on. Authorities say they don't believe the protest itself -- which is focused on nuclear-waste processing at the state-owned Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Plant and inspired by concerns that Russia plans to process spent nuclear fuel from abroad -- was the motive for the hatefest. Instead, they say, it may have been as simple as an argument or theft. "Investigators are inclined to believe that the attack was motivated by hooliganism with the aim of stealing property," said a local police spokesperson. Oh, those wacky hooligans. What'll they do next?