Slutsky in the fan zone

Students of Moscow State University protest against the 2018 World Cup at the University, and at the same time against Harassment

A week before the election, Moscow State University students conducted single pickets against the construction of the Fan Zone on the territory near the University of the 2018 World Cup. In addition, on the eve of the initiative group of Moscow State University (IG MSU) demanded that the LDPR deputy Leonid Slutsky, whom the journalists Daria Zhuk, Ekaterina Kotrikadze and Farid Rustamova were accused of harassment, left the post of head of the department of international relations and integration processes at the faculty of political science of Moscow State University.

The rector of Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichi in 2011 after visiting Dmitry Medvedev, the journalism of the Moscow State University said: "The university is outside politics." Students recalled this phrase of the rector more than once, especially during protests for one reason or another.

Like, if we are out of politics, then this should concern not only the opposition, but also the use of the university to promote the interests of the authorities.

They began to talk about the fan zone at the territory near Moscow State University in the winter of 2017. The final project was presented at the end of March KB Strelka, which had previously been engaged in the contracts of the Moscow City Hall. According to him, next to the university it is planned to put tiles, plant trees with backlight, place a technopark, a street scene and coworking. Fountains on the park territory of Moscow State University, according to the project, need to be redone, and in the center of the territory there is another new, LED fountain. The area in front of the main building is planned to be left free for festival fans and the arrangement of fan zone.

The collection of signatures against the fan zone on the territory near the university initiative group began in June 2017. The main arguments against a football holiday near the university buildings are inconvenience for employees and students, the illegality of the reconstruction of the territory and a breakdown of preparations for exams of students living in a hostel.

Protest sentiments intensified at the beginning of this year, when there were reports of postponing the session due to the World Cup. In early February, the initiative group reported that the decision on changing the dates of the exams was made by Vice -Rector Peter Vrzhesh. However, on February 21, the rector Viktor Sadovnichi signed an order to hold a session at Moscow State University at the usual time.

On the same day, the action “Pour the Rectorate!” Took place. Representatives of the initiative group and caring students wanted to transfer 4224 signatures personally to the rector and ask him “direct, simple questions”. However, the entrance to the 9th floor of the main corps, where the rector is located, was guarded, and the elevators did not stop on it. Students spent several hours on the 10th floor. They came to them by the chairman of the Stad Council of Moscow State University Ali Assadov, the chairman of the United Student Committee Felix Studenikin and the vice -rectors. Activists are sure: the Sadovnichi was all this time in the HZ concert hall at a concert dedicated by February 23, but the rector did not go to those who were waiting on the 10th floor.

The meeting was scheduled for March 1, and the delegates of the initiative group of Moscow State University were to be present on it. “We will demand an answer from the Moscow government and FIFA,” said the group member Alexander Zamyatin.

But on March 1, the meeting with the rector also did not take place. A document came from the rector Vaipan signed by Vice -Rector Vaipan, which stated that the territory of the festival of fans was chosen FIFA on April 27, 2016 and “is not in the operational administration of Moscow University, therefore, issues of its use are the competence of the territorial authorities”. It also says that the wishes of students are partially taken into account. The document mentions the transfer of a fan zone 310 meters from the main building and a decrease in its original area “almost doubles”.

After this message, the protests continued. On March 11, students held single pickets at the Presidential Administration, the City Hall and the Government of Moscow. There were inscriptions on the posters: “The fan zone under the windows of Moscow State University-a goal in its own goal”, “The World Cup on football is a reason to humiliate the university!”, “Plants-workers, universities-scientists, fan zone-at VDNH!”

The 2nd year student of the physical department of Moscow State University Artem Egorov later told Novaya, the next morning after the picket, a police officer came to the hostel. According to Egorov, he asked him about the initiative group and signatures against the fan zone. “Then he asked if I had an oppositionist to what I asked what it was to do with the university’s internal affairs. This is the personal look of everyone, ”he said. After that, the police officer recorded his phone and left. Egorov also noticed a piece of paper with all his data in his hands.

Students of the faculty of fundamental physical and chemical engineering informed the initiative group about the four meetings, which were held on March 2 by deputy deed Lyudmila Grigoryeva. She said to the freshmen “not to sign anything, not to go to rallies” and equated the collection of signatures against the fan zone to the performance against the state. She simply recommended that senior students refrain from signatures against the fan zone.

The initiative group of Moscow State University announced the intention to launch an English-language site about the campaign against the fan zone and begin to disseminate information on social networks in English so that foreign students and journalists learn about protests. “A letter to the President of FIFA, sent in July, remained unanswered, but no one has yet canceled the public resonance in the international student, academic, football and other communities,” the report said.

A year ago, students also opposed events under the windows of the university. This was due to the festival "Spring", dedicated to the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea. Students conducted pickets and collected signatures, but the festival nevertheless passed under the windows of the GZ on March 21, 2017.

During the festival, a graduate student of Moscow State University hung a Ukrainian flag from the window of the building. He explained that this was not a political action. According to the graduate student himself, he opposed the waste of budget funds for the “spring”, and used the flag to attract attention. He was first detained by the guards of Moscow State University, then - police officers.

According to the graduate student, he was beaten in the department, forced to sign a document on cooperation with the FSB and the Center “E” and drew up a protocol for petty hooliganism.

Conflicts at Moscow State University do not end on disputes around the fan zone. On March 8, the initiative group also demanded that the head of the head of the international relations and integration processes of the Faculty of Political Science of Moscow State University Leonid Slutsky, who is part -time, is a deputy of the State Duma from the LDPR. He was accused of harassment of the rain journalist Daria Zhuk, and later - deputy chief editor of RTVI Ekaterina Kotrikadze and correspondent of the Russian BBC Russian Service Farid Rustamova. The latter submitted a recording of a conversation with Slutsky.

“We welcome the decision of journalists to publicize these stories and express our support to them. Slutsky inappropriate behavior throws a shadow at Moscow University, ”the initiative group said. Activists believe that the public apologies that Slutsky brought “to all the women whom he involuntarily offended” is not enough. “We believe that the leadership is obliged to pay attention to the information that has appeared in the media, conduct its investigation and, if the charges of journalists are justified (and everything indicates this), remove Slutsky,” the representative of the initiative group added. The media reported that the dean of the Faculty of Political Science Andrei Shutov considered the demand for Slutsky’s resignation from the post of the head of the Hibride War and stated that this was a political game.

Maria Efimova - for "New"