Russian anarchists against Putin's war in Ukraine
Submitted by Редакция on 3 March, 2022 - 02:02
As the full scale military operation began this morning, it is important to show that the Russian people don’t need this shameful war. There were dozens of antiwar protests all over the country in the past days mostly in the form of single-person pickets, which according to Russian laws don’t need any notifications. But the majority of protestors were detained nevertheless.
On February the 23rd anarchists took part in single-person pickets in Moscow, Irkutsk and Perm. In Saint-Petersburg anti-war anarchist graffiti was made. Also feminists from the 8th initiative organized action in the metro. There were actions in Irkutsk and Novosibirsk. More information is on the way.
13 people were detained in different parts of Moscow with anti-war posters. 3 people were detained near Okudzhava monument on Arbat street. There were also protesters who came to commemorate another anniversary of the Chechen and Ingush deportation organized by Stalin.
Despite the police efforts anarchists were able to spread anti war leaflets in downtown Moscow. Those detained near Okudzhava monument spent more than 5 hours in Arbat police station. As it became common in Moscow police stations the lawyer from OVD-Info wasn’t allowed in for more than an hour and a half. Protesters were accused of holding mass rallies without any notifications and shouting slogans despite the fact that protesters held single-person pickets and didn’t shout anything. It is a common practice for Russian police to act that way. It is important to note that authorities in Moscow, and in other cities, almost never allowed the majority of public rallies before Covid-19 and the virus gave them an excuse not to allow anything aside from official meetings.
There were other detainees in the Arbat police station besides the protesters. They were detained for public drinking. 2 street musicians were also there. When they learned that protesters were detained for anti war pickets, no one expressed any support for Putin. Even a former military man, who served in Afghanistan, condemned the escalation of war hysteria and said that it can only lead to the arrival of coffins from the combat zone.
By the way, the policemen didn’t speak with the detained about their protest against the war in Ukraine. It seems that the war didn’t create any feeling of patriotism in them.
Today when the war had started, dozens of Russians took the streets. Arrests continue. The petition to end the war with Ukraine got more that 100,000 supporters in less than 3 hours (more than 1,150,000 supporters at the time of translation). Students, and professors are working on an open anti war letter.
Messages to hold a rally against the war in Ukraine at central squares of cities at 19:00 are spread in social media. The rally in Moscow will be held at Pushkin square. Special Police forces and Rosgvardia are relocated there.