Translated material
Day of anger
From Kaliningrad to Vladivostok
“The Kremlin sets exactly two tasks to the governors: to provide the desired percentage of United Russia and prevent mass protests,” one of the regional officials said in an interview with The New Times on the eve of March 20. - If these problems are solved, the rest does not bother anyone. At least stole the whole area. ” The regional authorities solved these tasks on March 20, when people in 19 cities of the country entered rallies and pickets. Requirements - from reducing housing and communal services tariffs to the resignation of the government of Vladimir Putin (see the All -Russian Protest Camp ). People held in their hands the posters “USRO - to the bucket”, “High quarter pay = murder of the elderly!”
The protest wave rose in Kaliningrad when about 10 thousand people entered the rally at the end of January. In Kaliningrad, the authorities planned to knock down a wave so that it would be inconsistent to others: on the eve of March 20, the fighters of OMON of the Zubr were sent to the city. The authorities are preparing for the acceleration of protest shares - at their disposal armored vehicles with the affectionate name “punisher” . The authorities can be understood: the appeal "Putin must leave!" More than 15 thousand people have already signed, and these are people from all over the country , and among those supporting this position - even those who have never been seen in protest activity. Finally, on March 31, Moscow will host the next rally in defense of Article 31 of the Constitution, which the authorities once again promise to ban . About all this - in the main topic of the number
“We have the situation every day changes, and it is very difficult to predict what will happen on March 20,” said Sergey Kravchenko, co -chairman of the Republic of Kaliningrad Opposition Coalition, coalite, coalid, coalist's regional branch, a few days before the rally in an interview with the New Times. The opposition is rushing about: they are ready to compromise with the authorities - they, they say, satisfied some of the requirements of Kaliningraders (it seems to be reduced to the level of 2009, the transport tax will be redeemed, and tariffs for housing and communal services will be revised, however, when this happens, it is unknown), then, opposite, says that on March 20, Kaliningraders will again go out into the streets. According to Konstantin Doroshka (he was one of the organizers of the rally on January 30, after which the heads flew in the Kremlin and the region), the authorities are ready to use the power option in order to prevent the repetition: “There should be a“ demonstration flogging, ”he said in an interview with the local newspaper. -That is, a group of provocateurs from various special services, from somewhere still had to start a fight with the police, and rust and rustican had to come into effect. There is only one goal - to destroy the opposition in the Kaliningrad region. ” That is why some of the opposition leaders said that on March 20 there would be no rally.
In anticipation of the "bison"
After prolonged thoughts in the office of the Governor of the Kaliningrad Region, the opposition refused to hold a rally in the city center, at the House of Soviets (a formal reason was the holding of a fair at this place), offering deserted and remote sites near the Devau airfield and the Pioneer Stadium. One of the organizers informed The New Times that “there are two dick battalions in the city. Personally, Putin was ordered to arrange a public flogging from the rally so that all the regions become a lesson. There are no residential buildings next to the proposed sites, no one would know what happened there. There are rumors that in the event of a rally of all reporters, they would have been taken out for the cordon, and the “aggress” was faced with the task - up to the murders of the protesters. The whole idea of the opposition movement of the region would be buried in the bud. " Kaliningrad is really full of the most controversial rumors and fears these days. However, the sources of The New Times in OMON "Zubr" confirmed that their colleagues flew to Kaliningrad, but found it difficult to name the exact number of soldiers sent to suppress protests. “They are really actively actively said about the appearance of the“ dick ”in the city,” confirms the co -chair of the Kaliningrad “solidarity” Sergey Kravchenko. “I myself, however, have not yet seen them.”
Unbearable
However, not all Kaliningrad oppositions abandoned the struggle. The head of the Docerian trade union Mikhail Chesalin (he leads the Kaliningrad branch of the Patriots of Russia party) clearly does not intend to give up. In an interview with The New Times, he said: “Now I am waiting for our office to storm the security forces or not (the conversation took place on March 16. - The New Times). Immediately after the end of the working day, the tax inspectorate and police officers arrived at us, who reported the sudden need to conduct an audit of the work of the Patriots of Russia, the trade union of docks and the human rights center, which I head. It is obvious to me that these actions are aimed at putting pressure on me and my associates. After these actions, there is no need to talk about some dialogue of the governor with the opposition. The authorities did not ripen in order to conduct a constructive dialogue. We invite all Kaliningraders to come to our picket, which will be held under the windows of the governor’s office. This action is agreed with the authorities, and we are not afraid of any actions against us by the police or riot police. Although, of course, in Russia they can do anything. They can also puncture the area so that there is no democratism. ”
"And you?"
The main fighter with the seedling of democracy should be recognized as the Governor of the Kaliningrad Region George Boos. It was he who was on the verge of resignation after thousands of Kaliningraders entered the city streets at the end of January. However, Boos resisted. Bye. His powers expire in the fall of 2010. What in the Kremlin was reminded of him. Having returned from Moscow, the governor gathered at his meeting of the leaders of the regional opposition, after which Konstantin Doroshko came out of the Solidarity movement, and the publisher of the Dwoner's newspaper Arseniy Makhlov said: “It would be the most cowardly act that people would call for a rally. He can end in blood and increased repression. "
On the day of signing the number, March 19, Kaliningrad was still wondering if riot police will be thrown against the picketers or not. In the meantime, leaflets appeared in the city: “The House of Soviets, March 20, 13.00. Citizens go to the fair, because the rally was banned! And you?"
On the other end of the earth
In most Russian cities, the opposition’s speeches were authorized by the authorities. Only in Primorye on the eve of March 20 did the same situation formed as in Kaliningrad. The authorities of Vladivostok banned the rally on the central square of the city of the coalition, which included the Communists, the "Yabloko", the movement of the tiger. The opposition of Primorye intended to oppose raising housing and communal services tariffs and for reducing customs duties on imported cars. After the ban on the rally, the coalition leaders went to court and the prosecutor's office, but this did not bring success. Despite this, until the last day, the leaders of the Primorsky opposition announced their intention to reach the square at all costs. In the end, the opposition of Primorye has already a rich experience in confrontation with the authorities. The last time OMON Zadl was sent to suppress street performances to Vladivostok, where on December 21, 2008 he brutally dispersed the townspeople who protested against increasing duties on imported foreign cars.