About 500 people gathered for a rally in protection of an oak
wood in Khimki, Moscow region, on October 10. This time the
authorities decided to cut the wood under construction of
an elite housing complex with a quay for yachts in the water
protection zone of the Moscow Canal.
The action joined together local residents, activists of
the Movement for Protection of Khimki Forest and YABLOKO’s
activists. YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin.
After the rally two unidentified men saying that they are
from the Police Department on Economic Crimes tried to detain
Mitrokhin. However, they refused to show their credentials.
Mitrokhin turned to the participants of the rally saying that
unknown persons were trying to detain him. A crowd of elderly
women pushed the men off YABLOKO’s leader.
Then the head of the party was able to leave the scene and
go to the next action. He has not met any obstacles in Khimki
any more.
"I can presume that these men were sent by the Khimki
administration so that to intimidate me or take some action
against me", Sergei Mitrokhin said.
Mitrokhin also noted that it was not the first time that
he had to confront criminal methods of suppression of public
protest in Khimki. Thus, in 2008, the authorities tried to
suppress the speeches at the opposition rally with loud music.
Moreover, deputy head of Khimki Administration E. Piterimov
personally headed the anti-rally action.
"That's why I continue to insist that the version that
Khimki Administration was involved in the attack against journalist
Mikhail Beketov [left handicapped after this] can not be ruled
out", Mitrokhin said.
See also:
Protection
of Environment
Human
Rights
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