The leader of a grassroots organization that targets poorly behaved Russian drivers by means of shaming and harassment has been beaten by unknown men in Moscow.
Dmitry Chugunov, the leader of "Stop Kham," which translates into English as "Stop Boorishness," was attacked by a group of men wielding pepper spray while he was investigating the planned demolition of a parking facility on Dmitrovskoye Shosse, according to a statement issued by the Public Chamber.
The statement did not provide details on why Chugunov was looking into demolition plans, saying only that it was a project of the group. In the course of this work, "unknown men in black jumpsuits with pepper spray" attacked Chugunov, causing injuries to his eyes, the statement said.
Stop Kham targets bad drivers by preventing them from parking their cars illegally and placing large, reprimanding stickers on the windshields of already parked vehicles. The group, which has been active since 2010, is an offshoot of the pro-Kremlin Nashi movement.
Anton Tsvetkov, the head of the Public Chamber's safety commission, has appealed to the Interior Ministry to locate and prosecute those responsible for the attack.
Members of the Stop Kham group frequently get into scuffles with their targets, and videos of the subsequent showdowns are often posted on YouTube.