About 500 people came to a rally against
political terror which took place in Moscow today, despite
of the fact that only 300 people were allowed for the rally
by the authorities. The rally was initiated by the YABLOKO
party, the Movement for Protection of the Khimki Forest and
a number of other public organisations.
The action was conducted on the second anniversary of attack
on Mikhail Beketov, Editor-in-Chief of the Khimki Pravda paper,
who was left handicapped due to grave injuries. The participants
of the rally also paid tribute to other journalists and public
activists – victims of “political bandits”.
Friends and colleagues of journalist Oleg Kashin and activist
ecologist Konstantin Fetisov who were severely beaten and
injured last week, spoke about the condition their colleagues
are in now and also speculated on who could have ordered these
attacks.
The participants of the rally demanded resignation of Vladimir
Strelchenko, head of the Khimki district, and Boris Gromov,
Governor of the Moscow region. Deputy head of the Moscow YABLOKO
Galina Mikhalyova called the situation in Khimki “a system
problem of our country”. “The law enforcement is targeted
on suppressing the civil activity, rather than on their protection,”
she said.
Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov, antifascists accused in
an attack on the Khimki Adminsitration in July 2010, also
spoke in the rally. They spend several month under arrest
and were freed only due to public protest.
Alexei and Maxim recalled the words of murdered lawyer Stanislav
Markelov who told two years ago at the same rally, “no one
will protect us but ourselves”.
The rally supported the speakers not only with traditional
chanting of slogans, but also by creating special noise symbolising
the indignation against “political banditism”.
YABLOKO also participated in the same actions which took
place in Ekaterinburg and St.Petersburg today.
All photos
from the action see at the Moscow YABLOKO web-site.
See also:
YABLOKO obtains
a permission from the Moscow Mayor’s office to conduct a rally
against political terror. Press Release, November 9, 2010.
On
the attack against journalist Oleg Kashin. Statement by the
Federal Council of the YABLOKO party, November 6, 2010
Freedom
of Speech
Human
Rights
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