Flash mob in protection
of the Lake Baikal at the Red Square
Press Release
June 5, 2010
On June 5, the World Environment Day, the activists of the
YABLOKO party conducted a flash mob at the Red Square. YABLOKO’s
activists carried a large white banner showing the Lake Baikal
chanting "Hands off of the Lake Baikal!" The same
slogan was printed on their shirts. However, this march was
broken by police and all the participants of the action were
taken to the police station.
On World Environment Day YABLOKO’s activists tried to draw
attention of the people strolling at the Red Square and the
President to the pollution of the Lake Baikal by the pulp
plant.
Five young activists of the party - Kirill Goncharov, Konstantin
Pavlov and Igor Saveliev and members of the Regional Council
of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO Arthur Grokhovsky and Olga
Ushakova were wearing white shirts with a printed slogan "Hands
off of the Lake Baikal" and the logo of the Party, were
carrying the banner towards St. Basil's Cathedral.
Police officers by the Mausoleum, rushed to the activists
and tried to tear the banner off the hands of the young people.
A few minutes later two police cars appeared and head of the
local police office Colonel Vasilyev came up to the activists.
He informed the activists that they were arrested, but refused
to specify the reason of the arrest saying that they will
find this our in the police department.
A second policeman rushing to help to his boss said that
YABLOKO did not have a permission to march at the Red Square
adding that permissions to public actions at the Red Square
should be given by the President of Russia. He also threatened
to use force against the activists. Soon the activists were
shoved to the police car and taken to the police department.
In the police department the policemen took all private belongings
and mobile phones from the activists. In the camera three
Federal Security Service officers photographed each of the
detained.
However, YABLOKO continues to fight for the freedom of assembly
insisting that the party should not take permission from the
authorities on peaceful actions.
Photographs from the red Square by LJ users ottenki_serogo
and mmet.
On the same day an action against another problem – raising
of water level in the Cheboksary reservoir was held in Nizhni
Novgorod. YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin and head of YABLOKO’s
Green Russian faction Acad. Alexei Yablokov visited Nizhni
Novgorod and participated in the picketing together with other
40 participants.
The present water level reaches 63 meters, and the local
authorities plan to raise that mark to 68 meters. "This
project was under consideration as early as in the Soviet
period, and it was decided to abolish it then - the scientists
concluded that it would bring more harm than good. But it
is profitable for the regional authorities, as electricity
generation will increase, however there will be no reduction
of electricity prices for the residents of the area. And,
according to environmetalists, this will harm the ecology
of Mari El and Nizhny Novgorod ", Vyacheslav Tarakanov,
Chair of Nizhni Novgorod YABLOKO, said.
“RUSHYDRO’s plans supported by the Russian government will
bring profit to the few, however will harm many,” Sergei Mitrokhin
stated.
After picketing Sergei Mitrokhin and Acad. Alexei Yablokov
participated in a roundtable discussion, where they discussed
with environmentalists the problem of the Cheboksary reservoir.
Also they gave a press-conference in the Interfax.
