"Parallel Worlds": Police came to schools to actors of the activist theater

For more than a year, theatrical director Julia Tsvetkova, together with his pupils, has been preparing the first festival of activist art “Sharn color” in Komsomolsk-on-Amur . The event program includes four performances on ambiguous topics: war, persecution, gender stereotypes, Prague spring. One of the works is called "pink and blue." It was to her that the employees of the city administration had the most issues. A few days before the festival, which was supposed to pass in February, Tsvetkova called from the administration.

“Communication with the administration was not very pleasant. They did not respect the children very respectfully, asked about the topics of performances, about anti -war cards. No specific statements about the ban and its reasons were announced, but it became clear that the Komsomolsk administration and activist art are completely parallel worlds, ”the director says.

According to her, later the administration’s employees hinted that the festival premises would be provided if its organizers cease to cover the problem publicly. “They also hinted at the fact that the ban does not come from the administration, but from somewhere higher,” recalls Tsvetkova.

After the call from the administration, the festival was refused the previously agreed site. The event had to be transferred to other dates and to another room. But the pressure did not end there.

A few days later, the director found out that she received three statements to the police. Their authors anonymously complained that Tsvetkova allegedly brings up hatred for men and promotes non -traditional family values ​​to minors.

One of the complaints concerned the “LGBT propaganda” , which the applicants saw in the drawing of the student of Tsvetkova. In a picture painted more than a year ago, a rainbow was depicted. Tsvetkov was called to the department where she wrote explanatory about family values ​​and feminism for four hours.

“On a personal page in VKontakte, I write a lot about activism and feminism, and also lead a public dedicated to the sex education for young people. All this, together with the festival, was pulled by the ears, gathered in one bag and managed to find some kind of propaganda in this. The reason for the challenge was not really explained to me, but, apparently, they gave a move to statements, ”says Tsvetkova. After some time, messages with threats and accusations began to arrive on social networks.

On March 11, a week before the new date of the start of the festival, the police came to schools to two actors employed in performances. The police called another young man to talk on March 12. Minors were interviewed for several hours in the absence of parents. Young people say that the police and school staff exerted pressure on them. At their request, at their request, publishes the stories of schoolchildren and parents without indicating the names.

Actor No. 1, 15 years old

At school, in the lesson, my class teacher came up to me, and the lesson was not her. She said that they call me to a social pedagogue. I understood that the police would talk to me because they had already talked with my friend. We met, and she told everything. Then we discussed what happened in our studio and consulted with lawyers. I was warned and more or less ready psychologically.

I was brought into the office where a aunt-policeman , a male police , a social teacher, the head teacher and my cool one were sitting. They explained to me that they called me because of our festival. I refused to answer questions without a legal representative. The police did not like it very much, it was visible. When I was released, I went to warn other guys from our theater so that they, if that, were not afraid.

After the lessons, I was called to the police with my father. They asked about LGBT, they were interested in how I found out about it. I explained that from classmates. In our class, a lot of jokes on these topics, it could not bypass me, although I do not like such jokes. They asked about Julia’s posts - did I see them. I said that, of course, I saw, they are freely available. I was asked about the like, which I put under her post on December 15. Then they showed me a black and white picture of the LGBT Flag and asked if I know what it is. They asked about the studio, about why I go there and what I was doing.

During a conversation with the police, I wanted dad to support me. But when the police said that the topic of the performance was drawn to Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors- OTD-info ), he replied that the Code of Administrative Offenses would give me a good book. So I cannot say that he understands me. And mom supports me.

Now I am no longer nervous and not afraid, but it’s not good for me from this situation. We are real friends in the studio. Our leader communicates with us not as a teacher at school, but on equal terms. We do nothing illegal, on the contrary, we bring joy to each other and in our performances we talk about important things. It is very scary when you do good, but this happens to you. When you make a festival about love for six months, and they tear it off. Yes, tough topics are raised there, yes, there are difficult moments there, but it carries an important message.

The purpose of our performances is love and friendship. We want to show that not everything depends on the war and weapons, not everything is decided by bullying and aggression. It is very scary when, due to some two harmless words in the name, they unfold the topic of propaganda and begin to blame the leader. We are scared for her, and she is scared for us. Yesterday I cried, I have accumulated all this. But I still won’t stop, because we are the team and do not do anything bad. We will defend our position, because retreating is not ours. We fight for what we know.

Actress No. 2, 15 years old

A school psychologist called me and said that the inspector for minors calls me. She said that they have a mother’s number and that they will call her and warn her. I went home, but then they called me and said that I urgently needed to return to school, because the police are already waiting for me. I thought that my mother was also told, and did not call her. So at the survey I was alone.

The psychologist said she would defend my rights. But in fact, she, on the contrary, worsened the situation. For example, when I was asked if I found out about LGBT from Julia Tsvetkova, I explained that she had nothing to do with it, I know this from the Internet. The psychologist began to be indignant and say that she also uses the Internet, but does not know about LGBT, and asked to tell what it is. I answered as harmlessly as possible so that no one would have a kanat for this. When I was asked about the salary of the actors, and I refused to answer, the psychologist said that I was snapping.

After all this, I felt confused, unprotected, stupid, a little even to a fool. They talked to me as if I did not understand anything, they said as with a child. When I asked why they ask me all these questions, why they poke in my face with printouts of posts, why spend my time, they answered me: “We are just interested.” Then I was asked to sign the protocol, and I was afraid to refuse. Of course, I read everything again, but I was worried and did not very well disassemble someone else's handwriting.

Mom, guys from the studio and our leader helped me very much after stress. I am glad that I have such like -minded people and friends. I would not really want the festival to be disrupted. For all of us, this is very important, because our performances are not only about us, but about all people, about what they suffer. I would like to convey it to others.

Mom of the actress No. 2

At lunchtime, a social worker called me, outlined the situation and asked if he could give my phone number to the inspector for minors. I allowed. As a result, at five in the evening I found out that my child did not appear to the tutor. It turns out that the daughter came home, did not have time to eat yet, as they called her and demanded urgently returning to school. It is very obligatory for me, I immediately returned.

I arrived home at the beginning of the sixth. Not only is she hungry all day, no one thought about it, but four people interviewed her there for two hours. Nobody called me and did not say that the child was called, they did not invite me to school. The daughter then said that she asked if it was possible without her mother, and they answered her that there was her representative at school. I think this is not normal, this is pressure.

She reassured her a little that she knew that they also came to other children. But on the other hand, she is very worried about how the police talked to her. She was very unpleasant from their relationship.

I support her desire to continue to work on performances. So much preparation, so much enthusiasm is invested, will be very disappointing if all this is in vain. I am very glad that my daughter goes to the studio because I see that we are going on in the yard. The full yard of minor children who jump from nothing to do on the roofs, smoke, drink, consume “spice”, stain the entrances. Nobody is following these children, the police do not give a damn about them, no measures are taken. And my child is busy, passionate, developing. And the police are to her school. It seems strange and absurd to me.

UPD on March 14, Tsvetkov was summoned to a survey to the ED center. The director received the third anonymous statement about the promotion of non -traditional values.

“I was shown under a hundred screenshots from my social networks and publics. The case has not yet been started, it seems so far only a check. They also present that in my group about feminism there are about a hundred minors. They even asked about the hashalgbtinrussia hashtag, which appeared after the persecution of representatives of LGBT in Chechnya. Some unfamiliar person under this hashtag published pictures of not very pleasant content. The police have no idea how the hashtags work, ”said Tsvetkova.

According to her, after the threats received, she had to hire the festival.