Clubs against feathers

We, of course, are against dividing St. Petersburg residents and guests of our city who suffered during the march on April 15 into journalists and non-journalists. However, such a number of press representatives detained and beaten by riot police, as this Sunday on the banks of the Neva, is, of course, an unprecedented case.

For his mere presence at the March of Dissent, Gorod magazine correspondent Anton Mukhin was detained and taken to the 38th police department.
“They grabbed me by the neck, threw me to the ground, dragged me onto a bus, where they kept me for about an hour, and then took me to the 38th police department on the Obvodny Canal,” says Anton. “Only after nine in the evening were I and the other detainees sent to the magistrate’s court and soon found guilty under the Code of Administrative Offenses article “disobedience to the lawful demands of police officers...”, obliging me to pay a fine of 500 rubles.
According to Mukhin, he did not offer any resistance, and he did not even see the law enforcement reports on the basis of which he was convicted.
“I left the courthouse around midnight, but other detainees were still there and had to bring new ones... I didn’t put on the so-called protective vest of the press, because I think it’s strange to divide people into those who can be beaten and those who cannot,” the journalist noted in conclusion.
The correspondent of the Ekho Moskvy radio station, Kirill Manzhulu, who was wearing the notorious vest, thank God, was not beaten.
“In front of the Vitebsk station, when I was preparing to go on air, a riot policeman came up to me and ordered me to go with him,” Kirill explains. “I tried to object, but in vain. One of the policemen was surprised out loud when he saw me wearing special clothing, but received a brief command: “It’s ordered to take everyone.” However, after a short time a man with a Ministry of Internal Affairs title appeared and, under the threat of a scandal, demanded my release.
It must be said that closer to three o’clock the riot police became furious and began beating even random passers-by. In front of me, a policeman knocked down a man of about fifty and hit him hard in the ribs. And when he saw me, he ran away.
During the march, Konstantin Zhukov, a former employee of Channel 5, editor of the “Right of Veto” program, now the author of the “Delo” newspaper, was seriously injured: the valiant riot police beat him several times with batons and dragged him along the ground.
“When the rally ended, my friend and I left the square in front of the Youth Theater through the corridor created by the police,” the journalist shares his impressions. – And, walking along the boulevard, we ended up at the Vitebsk station. There the riot police mauled everyone they came across. I stood up for one guy, and three fighters immediately ran at me, hit me several times and carried me away. It was obvious that they were drunk. I was pushed into a bus, where there were several ordinary police officers, who did not seem to understand what was going on. I shared my impressions of the riot police, said that they were clearly drunk - and the cops confirmed this... What was happening was devoid of any logic, and, if not for the real beating of people, it would have resembled a children's game of catch.
Finally, the bus was filled with detainees, there were 19 of us, and we went to the 38th police department. At the department, the employees were openly indignant that we were brought in: “Why was it necessary to detain these people?” Nevertheless, when drawing up protocols, they had to act as witnesses - although many of them were not at the march at all.
By the way, on the way to the march I met one of the employees of Novaya Gazeta. He gave me the number of Novaya. So: it was very popular in the police department; both detainees and cops read it.
Then we were taken to the magistrate’s court, which is located on Obvodny Canal, 132. The judges, unlike the police, behaved in a boorish, defiant manner. When the witness, the same friend with whom I left the rally and who saw me being detained, stated that I did not resist the arrest, did not swear and did not do anything illegal at all, Judge Tkachenko rudely snapped: “That’s it! We don't need you anymore! The prosecutor - he did not introduce himself, and the judge did not introduce him (although I asked for this), asked me: “Why, when you were detained, you did not walk on your own feet and the riot police had to drag you?” I just chuckled in response. The unknown prosecutor stood up and declared with pathos: “Your honor! I protest! Due to the fact that the accused is showing contempt of court!”
Then our colleague explained that he would not take part in such a court hearing, because, in his opinion, this was a real farce, and he was ready to appear in court only in the presence of a lawyer. The trial will continue after the accused recovers (he is currently on sick leave).
Andrei Kulgun, a photojournalist for Business Petersburg, suffered a spinal bruise while working on the march.
“Fortunately, they didn’t hurt me,” Andrei says ironically, “but they hit me hard on the back a couple of times.” The batons left a healthy bruise... What am I saying - when the riot police were clearing the territory, even the peaceful homeless people got it: one of them was kicked by three riot policemen, and they punched some grandmother in the jaw. As for me, recently Legislative Assembly deputy Andrei Chernykh threatened to break my camera, the guards at the Novy Svet state farm beat me up, and now even the special police!.. For the next March of Dissent, I will ask for a helmet...
Another lens master, an employee of the European Photo Agency (EPA) Anatoly Maltsev, in his words, “just took pictures and got hit in the head with a baton.”
“The blow was strong, but apparently the head is strong,” jokes the journalist, who escaped with “only” a concussion. – I managed to photograph a lot, and sent the pictures to the editor, so I didn’t let anyone down.
The fact that Anatoly was a media employee was clear from his vest; his number was 090.
Let us remind you that on Sunday, Novaya Gazeta in St. Petersburg correspondent Alexei Dyachenko was also beaten and detained. The journalist was photographing the square near the Pushkinskaya metro station when five riot policemen got out of a bus with registration number B 310 ER 67 (67th region - Smolensk region). After Dyachenko showed them his journalist ID, he was taken into the salon and hit in the chest several times. After that, they took away the voice recorder and camera and erased the pictures. Then the senior OMON officer tore up Alexei’s documents and pushed him out into the street. Our colleague recorded injuries at a medical facility and filed a statement regarding the beating by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Also, during a clash between riot police and protesters near the Pushkinskaya metro station, German journalist Stefan Stuhlik, a correspondent for the ARD television company, was detained. Just as he was about to conduct an interview, his assistant was knocked down and Stefan himself was hit several times. “At the same time, initially the demonstration in St. Petersburg was one of the most peaceful protests that I have ever witnessed,” emphasizes Shtukhlik.
The German Union of Journalists (DJV) sent an official note of protest to the Russian government over the dispersal of Dissent Marches in Moscow and St. Petersburg, expressing its outrage at the use of violence against media representatives. In the letter, the head of the DJV demanded that the Kremlin respect press freedom and not interfere with reporters fulfilling their professional duty.
Read the full version of the materials on the detentions and beatings of journalists during the march on the website Lenizdat.ru.

Photo by Sergei ERMOKHIN