Press Release, 8.08.2019

A rally Save Our Forests was held in Novosibirsk. The rally was dedicated to large-scale fires in the Siberian taiga and inaction and indifference of the Russian authorities. Members of the regional branch of the Yabloko party supported the citywide protest.

Yabloko placards ran: “The National Guard, suppress forest fires, not peaceful civilians”, “Return the former Forest Code of the Russian Federation! Putin’s Forest Code destroys forests in Russia, rather than protects! ”, “3 trillion roubles is spent on defense against mythical enemies, and there is no money on extinguishing forest fires? ”, “Resignation for the President and the government’s incompetent environmental policies!”

Several hundred Novosibirsk citizens came to the rally. It is noteworthy that even the oldest speaker of the rally, a veteran of the Second World War and an honorary geologist, noted the need for political changes in the country where forests are disappearing in millions of hectares. Many speakers, not only politicians, but also ordinary city activists – environmentalists, activists engaged in protection of animal rights, and simply active citizens – said that it is possible to solve the problem of the disappearing Siberian taiga only by changing the political situation in the country.

It should be noted that earlier the Krasnoyarsk branch of Yabloko called on the authorities of the region to declare a “black sky” regime in the region in connection with the continuing smokiness of the territories from forest fires raging in the Lower Angara and Evenkia. Members of the party’s regional branch rallied for the resignation of the Governor. The Altai branch of Yabloko demanded during pickets in Barnaul that Vladimir Putin pay attention to the catastrophic situation with forest fires in Siberia. The Novosibirsk branch of Yabloko demanded that officials who allowed growth of forest fires be brought to justice.