The opposition "People's Movement of Uzbekistan", created last spring by Uzbek emigrants in Germany, appealed to taxi drivers working in Uzbekistan. Fergana reports this. NDU calls on them to actively oppose the policies of the authorities.

Oppositionists express sympathy for taxi drivers, noting that they suffer from “robbery and extortion” by the authorities (the NDU considers the collection of license fees from drivers engaged in private transportation to be “robbery”). According to the opposition, many of the taxi drivers are specialists in various fields, forced to engage in driving due to the inability to find work in their specialty.

Next, the NDU explains to taxi drivers that they have to earn a piece of bread, while representatives of the “anti-people power” live in luxury. “The wives of Karimov’s thieving officials carry bags worth fifteen thousand dollars, which is higher than the price of your taxi,” the opposition says.

Under these conditions, taxi drivers are encouraged to oppose the authorities. “Rise up against the tyranny of these villains! Unite in mobile groups and express your protest against the anti-human policies of embezzlers led by IAK (initials of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Abduganievich Karimov ) ,” NDU campaigns.

At the same time, the opposition does not offer specific methods of “expressing protest,” as Fergana notes. She only encourages taxi drivers to spread this message among their friends.

Explaining why the appeal is addressed specifically to taxi drivers, the NDU, as reported by Uznews, states that there is no middle class in Uzbekistan (which could become a base for the protest movement). In the current situation, the opposition decided to turn to those groups of the population that are “the most united and structured.” The NDU intends to address further calls to Uzbek guest workers and peasants.

The “People's Movement of Uzbekistan” was created in the spring of 2011, its first congress was held in Berlin. The leader of the NDU was the poet and dissident Muhammad Salih. The organization, which referred to the experience of the “Arab Spring,” declared its goal to be the fight against the “Karimov regime” and “the liberation of our homeland from the tyrant.”

Let us note that at the same time, in the spring of 2011, a certain virtual movement “Etar!” announced its intention to start an indefinite protest in Tashkent demanding the resignation of Karimov. ("Enough!"). The start of the rally was scheduled for July 1. However, a few days before the specified date, a representative of the movement announced by email that the action had been cancelled.

Uzbek taxi drivers called on to rebel against Karimov