Activists in Novosibirsk to stage protest against Putin's food-destruction decree

On August 13, activists in Novosibirsk plan to hold a protest against the destruction of boycotted Western food imports. Roughly 40 people are expected to gather in a downtown city square. The demonstration is being organized by Yabloko, one of Russia’s longest standing liberal political parties.

“Destroying food is a crime, especially when some of us are in need and can’t make ends meet, because of the high prices,” says Alexandra Nalobina, head of Yabloko’s regional branch. “Destroying an apple obviously increases the cost of apples.”

Nalobina told the news website Taiga.info that Novosibirsk officials have granted Yabloko a permit to hold its demonstration on August 13. The rally’s organizers plan to demand that the government distribute the confiscated food to low-income groups, rather than destroy it.

On August 8, two members of Yabloko in Novosibirsk already staged individual pickets against the government’s new policy of destroying boycotted food imports on sight.

• The EU currently has sanctions in place against Russia for the annexation of Crimea and Moscow's participation in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. In retaliation for the extension of EU sanctions, Russia also extended its embargo on a number of goods from the EU, mostly food products.
• On July 29, President Putin signed an executive decree ordering the destruction of sanctioned food imports. His order, however, is short on details about how exactly officials are meant to carry out this massive undertaking. As a result, various state actors and agencies have used all manner of available resources to burn, bulldoze, and bury hundreds of tons of boycotted food.