StopXAM is a group of Eastern European activists who are campaigning against bad driving and illegal parking. What's interesting about them is the way they work – jumping on moving vehicles, pasting "shaming" stickers on windshields, and physically confronting angry (and sometimes armed) drivers. All the confrontations are recorded on camera, and the resulting videos are watched by millions. On VK, which is Russia's version of Facebook, StopXAM crowdsources advice from their followers on potential targets for their next intervention. Their goal is to chip away at the hazardous driving culture in a variety of Eastern European countries.
The movement began in Moscow in 2010, and has borne a number of offshoot groups – from Ukraine to Minsk to Moldova. But the original Russian group emphasizes that they do not advocate violent interventions (like this one in Moldova), and they don't share instructions or leadership with copycat groups.
So, of all issues to protest against, why this one? Well, first off, any sort of political or social protest in Russia is tricky to manage without fear of police crackdowns and reprisal. And this region does have a reputation for crazy, dangerous driving. StopXam has chosen an issue that is easy to translate into direct action, and speaks to the larger problems of entitlement in the upper echelons of Russian culture. Plus... it makes for some great videos.
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