Over 100,000 protesters gathered in Moscow to demonstrate against Vladimir Putin. There was violent clashed between protesters and police resulting in over 400 arrests.
On the 6th of May, a lot of anarchists took part in almost all events which occured in Moscow. There was a peaceful march from Kaluzhskаja to Bolotnaja square, after that it became clear that the entrance was forbidden for people, protesting against the inauguration of Putin. The anarchists were in the front line, took an active part in fights with police, throwing at them bottles, umbrellas, sticks, asphalt pieces, smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails.
Following that, anarchists tented and didn’t let displace them from the square.
To build the barricades the anarchists used metal cordons and even biotoilets. The most active protesters were arrested, however, some of them managed to rescue from the policemen.
The both sides had the wounded, a part of whom were hospitalized.
Despite the fact that the police were able to divide 100,000 of protesters into small groups and extrude them either out of Bolotnaja Square and the opposite side of the Obvodnyj channel, many anarchists as well as hundreds of other participants were left standing on the Small Moskvoretsky Bridge and later they started a new procession down the Bolchaja Ordynka street.
The movement on the streets was stopped by the police. Media reported that a spontaneous demonstration at the beginning of the Bolchaja Tatarskaja Street and then blocked near the Tretyakov Gallery was organized by about 2 000 people.
However, about 200-300 people came to police station 'Yakimanka" where the detainees were kept. Almost at midnignt, the protesters were kicked out from there, most active of them were re-arrested.
Police apprehended more than 400 people, including at least 30 anarchists.
According to preliminary data of the police, the total number of detainees rose at 450, while 11 participants and about 30 policemen wounded, including knife wounds. Law enforcement agencies reported, three policemen got a head injury, two - split chins and 7 policemen suffered from the gaz sprays.
At the police stations detainees were being bitten, an ambulance took from “Meshchansky” station three participants. The interrogations of injured have been already started in hospitals.
The prosecutor's office launched criminal cases under article "Calls for the riot" and "Violence against representatives of authority", nevertheless, the violence inflicted by police was legal.
All the detainees are to face Article 19.3 of the Administrative Code (disobeying a lawful order of a police officer), according to the laws, they can be arrested for 15 days. Most of the activists spent the night in police stations. It is also reported of the allegations against some protesters referring to Articles Part 3. 212 of the Criminal Code - “Calls for the riot”, and Part 1 of Art. 318 of the Criminal Code - "Violence against representatives of authority"
According to police, "March of Millions" gathered about 8000 people. Some opposition members claim that here were about 100 thousand people. But 20,000 participants seem to be most realistic.
Let us remind that the large-scale protests started in Moscow in December after the falsification of parliamentary election results, and went on following the presidential election on March 4. The Russian opposition movement consists of several groups. On Sunday, May 6, demonstrators with (hanging) black and red flags cooperated with representatives of the Libertarian Party of Russia, and Russian Orthodox monarchists walked with people who have the portraits of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara in their hands.
But they all were united by an aversion to the perspective of Vladimir Putin’s return in the Kremlin for another 12 years.
Reproduced via - http://avtonom.org/en/news/march-millions-moscow-and-anarchists-photosvideo
[youtube]xzqeiGVFzXo[/youtube]
Comments
Fucking sweet
Fucking sweet :) :pb:
I don't know what is fucking
I don't know what is fucking sweet about it.
In general, these "opposition" protests are organized by and manipulated by several political tendencies. Some anarchists go there with a quite unclear political message, accomplishing further strange integration in political tendencies that offer nothing for us. (Unless anybody here thinks "freedom for animals, freedom for people" is a clear political message.) Others try to bring another message, an alternative, which is fair enough, but most wind up stuck in the opposition mentality which buried various opposition movements in Russia since 1991.
I'd pass on a position from one group in Russia, KRAS, which did not take part. I have to agree with the remark about being cannon fodder and just remark that this type of debate has been going on since 1991 and more than once there have been very negative consequences, even ranging to nationalists shooting and otherwise attacking left and anarchist participants in "joint" protests.
The manipulations of Nemtsov are also old as the hills. He and members of Yabloko were trying in different ways to exploit and fund "oppositions" of all sorts, starting in the 90s, using them quite instrumentally in their quest for power. The only normal position to have is AGAINST them, not to be together with them in some common anti-Putin campaign. Anti-Putinism in and of itself it really nothing.
**
Declaration of the Section of IWA in Russia about so-called “March of the millions” on 6th.of May, 2012
May 6 in Moscow, the so called “March of Millions” was held organized by Udaltsov, a Stalinist, Nemtsov, a Liberal, and Navalny, a Nationalist. The aim of this opposition was as usually one only: to conquest the power, i.e. to drive the actual authorities from Kremlin and to stand in their place. These politicians want only to make a political capital for themselves and to recruit the electorate against a background of social discontent of the masses. They don`t raise any social demands. Udaltsov makes a double dealing: participating on the state reception by Putin in Kremlin and in the same manner, he calls people almost to barricades. As a result, both, "the opposition" and the power, play before our eyes the next show. The ones don`t want to share power, while others were offended that they don`t have it. Both the "opposition" and the power use people just like pawns in their dirty game.
In connection with this, the reaction of the Left and of some Anarchists participating in these actions as cannon fodder for the "opposition" is really incomprehensible. They becoming actually an ally of one of the contending factions of the bourgeoisie, and they find themselves on one side with those who today furiously defends the existing capitalist barbarism. These anarchists have not learned the lessons from the past, forgetting about the consequences of the joint actions with the political groups seeking to gain power. They argue that contravene the institutions of representative democracy, but they participate in the actions of "opposition", in fact, in support of Navalny, Udaltsov and Nemtsov. Such activity can only be regarded as a departure from the ideas of anarchism, because the anarchism implies the anti-policy, and the reject of a struggle for power (and, consequently, those who fight for it.)
Characteristically, the leaders of the "opposition" cynically treat their “radical” allies as cannon fodder; they call them openly provocateurs and are willing to abandon them as soon as possible. However, this does not prevent politicians use such "useful idiots".
No less scandalous for people who consider themselves anarchists is to participate in these "protests" side by side with the nationalists. It serves as a manifestation of unscrupulousness of these self-styled "anarchists" in pursuit of the "mass" at any cost, and strengthens the nationalist and patriotic sentiments in the "leftist" movement. As a result, many "anti-fascists" differ from their opponents only in symbols and rituals .
The IWA Section in Russia strongly condemns the unscrupulous and the opportunistic politicking perpetrated under an anarchist flag. We would remind that everyday resistance against the State and the Capital, a thousand of tiny, daily things, often overlooked by the medias, a laborious and hard activity in the society, in workplaces, in educational institutions etc. have a much more importance for the Anarchy and the Social Revolution than a ten or a hundred of loud and spectacular actions of self-PR or of politicized and hysterical antics.
Que se vayan todos: Authorities and Opposition – all get out!
KRAS, Section of IWA in Russian Region
We strongly confirm our declaration of 2011, December:
“It does not matter which clique will form a government - it is important for us to live better!
We demand real freedom of meetings, rallies, strikes and union activity!
We demand an end of anti-social politics: low wages and systematic reducing of real incomes of general population, destruction of social guarantees, commercialization of education and healthcare, privatization, and a permanent rise of prices ...
We demand an end of "economic reforms", from which business owners, bankers and bureaucrats get richer and the ordinary people are getting poorer, more and more. All these measures should be removed immediately!
We demand to abolish the infamous law against "extremism", to stop the arbitraryness of "normal" and secret police, of small and big bosses: people need rights, not repression and extortion! Our towns and villages must be for residents, not bureaucrats!
We don`t need any "fair elections" in which "putinists", liberals, pseudo-“reds" and nazi-browns fight over who will skin us alive. We need a decent life!
We demand:
– Increasing the level of wages to the average level in Europe
– Increasing of minimal guaranteed wages until level of “basket of goods” in each region respectively
– Automatic wage increases in line with rising prices
– 6 hour day and 5-day workweek with no reduction in earnings
– Paid vacation for a period of not less than 1 month and paid sick of all workers
– Reduce and freeze prices of basic goods and services
– Prohibition of dismissals without the consent of the workforce
– Free medical, education, public transportation and public utility
Any government that does not take these demands must leave immediately!
We do not believe that representative democracy and its elections, presidents, governments and Dumas will be able to solve our problems. They have no right to decide and speak for us. Only under a system of general self-government and "direct democracy" in the place of residence, work and study we can all become masters of their destiny.
Let`s take your life in your hands!
Resistance - Self-organization - Self-government!