Printer-friendly version

On May 15 at 7 pm in the Novopushkinsky Square a meeting against police arbitrariness was organised. According to different estimates about 400 to 500 people assembled, mainly anarchists, antifascists, human rights activists as well as representatives of opposition parties and movements. The meeting became logical continuation of the “Week against police arbitrariness” on which we reported recently.

The participants held in their hands posters with inscriptions like “Down with this police state!”, “No lawlessness!” or “Are you on the extremists’ list?”. The activists made speeches from a small truck in the middle of the square.

A significant moment was the declaration made by the Libertary initiative against police arbitrariness: “Today we want to announce the beginning of a widespread campaign against illegal activities of staff members of the police. If you think that your rights were infringed by policemen, call 291-62-33 or 202-22-24 or visit our website. Together we can defend you and make law enforcement bodies work conscientiously.”

By the end of the meeting the activists performed a scene: a part of the people represented the police with peak-caps and batons, the others – civilians and simple passengers. The police arrested young people under different pretexts (like belonging to an extremist group) in an improvised prison from which they returned slogged and dressed in another way, holding up sign on which was written: “Was arrested. Accidentally hit by electric shock 40 times.” or “Was arrested. Fell down the stairs.” After this medals were conferred upon the heroic policemen because of their excellent performance of duty.

The police decided not to stay but to gladden the attendants with the following performance: in some moment they let pass some people of a strange look with sign “Anarchy”.

The meeting ended at the prescribed time without any complaints of the policemen which were lead by the chief of the department of public relations of the Moscow city police department, general Biryukov. However, four persons returning from the meeting were detained at the metro-station Paveletskaya and conveyed to the police department “Zamoskvoretskoe”. They did not get to know the reasons for this and shortly after this they were let off. According to the arrested, the ground for their detention was their appearance.

The event was organised by the Civil movement against police arbitrariness which was joined by the Moscow Helsinki Group, the movement “For Human Rights” and the Libertary initiative against police arbitrariness.