Action against mandatory army conscription organised by the
Youth YABLOKO took place by the Ministry of Defence on June
15. Ten YABLOKO’s activists were holding a slogan “How many
of us should die so that you abolish mandatory army conscription?”
and also chanted “Away with mandatory army conscription, let’s
transfer to a contract conscription!”
Despite of the fact that YABLOKO applied for a permission
to conduct the action on June 10, the organisers of the picket
did not receive any answer from the officials. Therefore,
the activists decided to hold the action by the Defence Ministry.
However, 10 minutes after the action began a police car stopped
by the picket. A police officer announced that the picket
should be conducted at the Gogol Boulvard (not far from the
Ministry building). While the activists were crossing the
square with the slogans the passers-by supported the young
people.
The picket resumed at the Gogol Boulvalrd. The organiser
of the action Kirill Gontcharov stated that incessant chain
of deaths of young conscripts made YABLOKO to hold such an
action. He also noted that “due to corruption only children
from poor families serve in the army”. “Instead of defending
our motherland our soldiers have to build country houses for
generals and clean water closets,” he added. He also said
that “harassment of subordinates became a symbol of the Russian
army”.
After the action was over the activists tried to forward
an appeal to the Minister of Defence, however, the receiving
office of the Ministry refused to take the letter and advised
to forward it by mail.
