The Speech of Russian Anarchist Alexei Polikhovich in Moscow

In Moscow, at the end of August 10, plainclothes police officers
arrested the anarchist Alexei Polikhovich on his way home from Russia’s
largest opposition demonstration since 2011. A local Moscow court
formally charged Alexei with “petty hooliganism” and sentenced him to 13
days in jail. The arrest stemmed from a combative and passionate speech
Alexei gave to thousands in Moscow that day. You can follow updates on
his legal status here. We consider it especially important to support
Russian anarchists in view of the recent slew of torture cases in Russia
and the other risks that dissidents face there. Likewise, we consider
international solidarity between anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist
movements to be the only hope for humanity, in contrast to all liberals,
nationalists, and supposed leftists who throw in their lot with one
faction of the global ruling class or another.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBkiWHeZYZY

Alexey Polikhovich speaking at the demonstration of August 10 in Moscow
(with English subtitles).

The massive rally on August 10 was the culmination of weeks of both
authorized and unauthorized demonstrations in Moscow and elsewhere
around Russia. The wave of demonstrations began on July 20, when 20,000
people gathered in Moscow to demand “fair” and “clean” local elections.
A slew of liberal opposition candidates have been barred from running in
the Moscow elections coming up on September 8. The July 20 demonstration
was called to oppose what the opposition sees as collusion between the
ruling United Russia Party, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, President
Vladimir Putin, and their allies to prevent liberal opposition
candidates from running.

While July 20 was large but rather quiet, one week later, on July 27, an
unauthorized protest in front of Moscow City Hall took a different turn.
Between 1000-1200 people were arrested out of a crowd of 3500, which
included 700 journalists. The heavy-handed brutality against the
demonstrators by the Moscow special police forces, the OMON, was nothing
particularly new. Neither was the array of absurd charges, some carrying
heavy fines and others potential jail time, that the Russian state doled
out.

Surely this added to both the anxiety and resolve of those who gathered
on August 3 for another unauthorized opposition protest, at which
another 1000 people were detained. Footage circulated widely on social
media showing the brute force of Moscow’s OMON.

Regardless of the liberal politics of the Russian opposition, these
circumstances render the impetus for Alexei’s speech self-evident.
Below, we present the text of Alexei’s speech that he posted on the
internet prior to the demonstration.

Glossary
For the benefit of those outside Russia, here is a brief guide to some
of the references Alexei Polikhovich makes in his speech.

Bolotnaya Square Case - The Bolotnaya Square Case stemmed from the
Russian opposition movement of 2011-2012, in which hundreds of thousands
of people participated. On May 6, 2012, the “March of Millions” ended
with clashes in Bolotnaya Square in Moscow. A number of people were
arrested, including Alexei Polikhovich and anti-fascist Alexei Gaskarov.
This made the Bolotnaya Square Case synonymous with the struggle to free
Russian political prisoners.

Berkut - The Berkut were the infamous riot police in Kyiv, Ukraine loyal
to the regime of Russian-supported Viktor Yanukovich, responsible for
policing and using lethal force against protestors during the Euromaidan
uprising in 2013-14.

Commander Sergei Kusyuk - A former Berkut officer who oversaw operations
against Euromaidan, Sergei Kusyuk is now working with the OMON in Moscow
and was seen at one of the recent protests.

Ivan Golyunov - Russian police sparked a movement when they arrested the
journalist Ivan Golyunov under false pretenses, planting drugs on him.
His investigation into the corruption behind the Moscow funeral business
sparked the police-mafia collusion leading to his false arrest. After
considerable outcry, he was eventually released. He has become a
symbolic figure for the opposition.

Alexei Navalny - Alexei Navalny is Russia’s most famous
opposition/anti-corruption activist. As a liberal, he flirts with
right-wing nationalism, and has produced famous investigations into
Russian politicians and oligarchs revealing their unscrupulous earnings.
He is able to mobilize a large base; as a consequence, he is regularly
arrested for his opposition activities.

Alexei Polikhovich was jailed as a political prisoner in the Bolotnaya
Square Case.

Alexei Polikhovich’s Speech
Hello everyone.

My name is Alexei Polikhovich, and I spent three years, three months,
and three days in prison because of the Bolotnaya Square riot. I was
imprisoned for grabbing the hands of a riot cop who was beating
protesters. And now I’m standing in front of you because I am furious.

I am furious that history is repeating itself. I am furious because
anonymous people in helmets, masks, and armor are beating defenseless
people on the streets of Moscow. They are beating them again and again
they will go unpunished. I am furious that Moscow is occupied by these
storm troopers who consider us all enemies of Russia.

I saw them. I saw a man in a helmet with a baton furiously beating
someone who was lying on the ground and screaming. I saw hordes of those
people in helmets attacking people who were standing there peacefully.
The only thing that was dangerous on July 27 was the law enforcement
officers. They alone.

They learned to beat us—and then they learned to play victim in the
courts and say how they were injured by a thrown plastic cup or from the
touch of our warm, tender hands, just like they hurt from the chant
“Cops are Shame of Russia.” They cry in their anonymous cowardly
Telegram channels that they are the real Russian men and we are paid
provocateurs. Hey men, what is it like to play victim in the courts
against students, graduate students, bloggers, TV directors, volunteers?
What will your children say about these stories when they grow up? Your
children will hate you. Children of cops—hate cops!

I am furious that once every seven years, the ship of the Investigative
Committee sails into Moscow and whisks young people away to the Cretan
labyrinth like a sacrifice to the Minotaur. To insure that
Athens—Moscow—remains a peaceful city of barbecue festivals. So that the
fugitives and traitors of Berkut can safely practice fencing with batons
on our bodies. So that Colonel Kusyuk can still wear his mustache on our
land and command the crackdowns on peaceful demonstrations.

They come every seven years to sacrifice us. And so it is. Today I am
furious and want you to feel the outrage too. I want you—all of us—to
become Ariadne for the thirteen guys who have already been imprisoned in
the riot case so far. I believe that we can handle it. After [the case
of Ivan] Golunov, I believe that we have the strength to throw down a
thread that will guide them out of the labyrinth of prisons, courts, and
police brutality.

How many people are here now? Many thousands. I want to see these
thousands under the windows of the Basmanny Court [the court that
ordered the arrests]—here, we are very close to the Basmanny Court. I am
not a supporter of Navalny, I do not believe in elections, I am just a
Russian anarchist. A simple Russian man. I want us to shout to all the
Kusyuks, the Moscow election commission, riot police, cops, judges, and
bureaucrats. You are crazy fucks! They are crazy fucks! They are crazy
fucks!

Support the people in prison. Come home and write a letter to them in
jail. Donate money for food and the lawyer fees. Find the person with a
donation box in the crowd now—it is my accomplice from the Bolotnaya
case, Volodya Akimenkov—give him funds for political prisoners. Talk
about it and go to the court; the protests beneath the windows of the
court should never stop.

Remember their names. Remember their names—not as the names of victims
or heroes, but as the names of your friends who will be home soon. Shout
them out:

Alexey Minyailo
Vladislav Barabanov
Kirill Zhukov
Egor Zhukov
Ivan Podkopaev
Samariddin Radzhapov
Evgeny Kovalenko
Sergey Abanichev
Daniel Conon
Sergey Fomin
Aydar Gubaidulin
Danila Begletz
Dmitry Vasiliev
Pavel Ustinov

We affirm Alexei’s courage against the brutally repressive Russian state.

Привет, люди

Меня зовут Алексей Полихович, и я отсидел три года, три месяца и три дня
по делу о массовых беспорядках на Болотной площади. Я отсидел за то, что
хватал омоновцев за руки, которыми они били демонстрантов. И сейчас я
стою перед вами, потому что я в ярости.

Я в ярости от того, что история повторяется. Я в ярости от того, что на
улицах Москвы анонимные люди в шлемах, масках и доспехах бьют
беззащитных. Снова бьют, и снова оказываются безнаказанными. Я в ярости
от того, что Москва оккупирована штурмовиками, которые считают нас всех
врагами России.

Я видел их. Я видел человека в шлеме, остервенело бьющего лежащего и
кричащего парня дубинкой. Я видел стаи таких людей в шлемах,
набрасывающихся на мирно стоящих людей. Единственную опасность для
кого-то 27 июля представляли именно сотрудники правоохранительных
органов. Именно они.

Они научились бить нас - и они научились потом терпилить в судах о том,
как им больно было от брошенного пластикового стаканчика, от
прикосновений наших теплых нежных рук, как им было больно от лозунга
“Мусора - позор России”. Они плачут в своих анонимных трусливых
телеграм-каналах, что это они - настоящие русские мужики, а мы -
проплаченные провокаторы. Эй, мужики, каково вам быть терпилами в судах
по студентам, кандидатам наук, блогерам, телережиссерам, волонтерам? Что
скажут об этих историях ваши дети, когда вырастут? Ваши дети будут вас
ненавидеть. Дети ментов - ненавидят ментов!

Я в ярости от того, что раз в семь лет в Москву приплывает корабль
Следственного комитета и забирает молодых людей в Критский лабиринт, в
жертву Минотавру. Чтобы Афины - чтобы Москва - оставалась смирным
городом шашлычных фестивалей. Чтобы беглецы и предатели из Беркута могли
безнаказанно упражняться в фехтовании дубинкой на наших телах. Чтобы
полковник Кусюк по-прежнему мог носить свои усы по нашей земле и
командовать разгонами мирных демонстраций.

Они приходят раз в семь лет и берут с нас всех эту жертву. Так вот.
Сегодня я в ярости и хочу, чтобы вы тоже ощутили ярость. Я хочу, чтобы
вы - мы все - стали Ариадной для пока тринадцати ребят, которых уже
посадили по делу о массовых беспорядках. Я верю, что мы справимся. После
Голунова - я верю - что у нас есть силы, чтобы бросить нить, которая
выведет ребят из лабиринта тюрем, судов и мусорского беспредела.

Сколько здесь сейчас людей? Много тысяч. Я хочу видеть эти тысячи под
окнами Басманного суда - здесь совсем недалеко до Басманного суда. Я не
сторонник Навального, я не верю в выборы, я просто русский анархист.
Простой русский человек. Я хочу, чтобы мы сейчас прокричали всем
кусюкам, мосгоризбиркомам, омонам, ментам, судьям и чинушам. Вы охуели!
Они охуели! Они охуели!

Поддерживайте людей в тюрьме. Придите домой и напишите им письмо в СИЗО.
Скиньте денег на передачи и адвоката. Найдите в толпе сейчас человека с
коробкой - это мой подельник по Болотному делу Володя Акименков, скиньте
ему на политзаключенных. Говорите об этом и идите в суд - митинг под
окнами суда должен не заканчиваться.

Помните их имена. Помните их имена не как имена жертв или героев, а как
имена ваших друзей, которые скоро будут дома. Кричите их:

Алексей Миняйло
Владислав Барабанов
Кирилл Жуков
Егор Жуков
Иван Подкопаев
Самариддин Раджапов
Евгений Коваленко
Сергей Абаничев
Даниил Конон
Сергей Фомин
Айдар Губайдулин
Данила Беглец
Дмитрий Васильев
Павел Устинов

Source:

https://crimethinc.com/2019/08/14/the-speech-of-russian-anarchist-alexei-polikhovich-in-moscow-for-which-he-is-currently-imprisoned