Infoavond in de Bollox over Anarchist/Antifa mobilisatie in Sint Petersburg tegen de fasistische demonstratie op 4 November 2010 (dag van de volkseenheid) in Sint Petersburg.
Op deze avond komen enkele vrienden, uit Rusland, vertellen over de achtergrond van deze door de regering Poetin uitgeroepen dag die bol staat van nationalisme en vreemdelingen haat. Het is dan ook niet verwonderlijk dat duizenden neo nazi’s en fascisten over heel Rusland deze dag de straat op gaan en hun boodschap van haat luidkeels verkondigen en waar het mogelijk is deze in de praktijk te zetten door migranten, anders denkende en wie zij ook maar zien als “vijanden”in mekaar te slaan of erger. Ook in de russische stad Sint Petersburg komen nazi’s massaal de straat op. Dit jaar willen locale antifascisten en anarchisten een krachtige oppositie de straat op krijgen om de fascisten het onmogelijk maken zich openlijk te manifesteren. Hieronder staat (in het engels) een uitgebreider stuk over de mobilisatie.
Ook zal er kort verteld worden over de recente ontwikkelen rond het bezette bos in de voorstad van Moskou, Khimki genaamd. Dit zeer oude bos word bedreigt met kap ivm een snelweg. In de laatste week van juli is het actiekamp aangevallen door fascisten en 15 minuten later door de oproep politie. Iedereen werd gearresteerd wegens openbare geweldpleging en men begon met de kap van het bos. Als reactie daarop werd diezelfde dag het lokale gemeentehuis aangevallen door 400 anarchisten, lokalen en andere woedende mensen.
In de dagen die daar op volgde zijn een tweetal bekende anarchisten en antifascisten van hun bed gelicht en opgesloten, niemand krijgt ze te spreken, ook de advocaten niet. Men is zeer ongerust over hun persoonlijk toestand, martelen en extreme mishandeling komt immers nog veelvuldig voor in Poetins kerkers.
Veel nieuws over anarchisten, antifa en repressie op het Engelstalige deel van: http://www.avtonom.org/en
Dit alles zal plaatsvinden in de Bollox / Anarchistische Bibliotheek Woensdag: 4 augustus Aanvang: 20:00 Eerste Schinkelstraat 14-16 Amsterdam
(er zal geen eten aanwezig zijn ivm. korte voorbereidingstijd en de MKZ heeft een zomerstop)
A call for action by St.Petersburg anti-fascist activists
History
On December 16, 2004 the State Duma of Russian Federation introduced a new holiday, the so-called “Day of People’s Unity”, November 4, instead of November 7 (the anniversary of October Revolution, renamed “The Day of Reconciliation and Consent” after 1991) that had been officially celebrated before that.
According to the official version, on November 4, 1612 “people’s militia headed by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky stormed Kitay Gorod and liberated Moscow from Polish invaders, thus demonstrating unprecedented heroism and unity of the people”. So, the government replaced a holiday that was, at least initially, internationalist in its basic idea, by an absurd celebration expressing “state patriotism”, that is, “the people’s unity” with the present-day dominating (bureaucratic-capitalist) oligarchy and its military and police machine, and state-promoted chauvinism.
The new holiday was immediately recognized by Russian Nazis and neo-fascists who hold their gatherings, marches and meetings (so-called “Russian marches”) on November 4. So, the official celebration and the Nazi activities entered into a complicated relationship; sometimes, the authorities sanction Nazi gatherings, and sometimes, suppress them, but in all cases, both the authorities and Nazis are dead set on not allowing a manifestation of genuine grassroot internationalist, anti-fascist and anti-Nazi resistance.
Resistance
In St.Petersburg, antifascist activists resisted neo-Nazis in the streets of the city from the very beginning.
In 2006, the neo-fascist march was not officially sanctioned but the column of about 300 Nazis was walking along Nevsky prospect (the city main street) guarded by police. Antifascists had expected this, so a group of about 50 people stood and blocked the Nazis’ way. The police demanded to let them pass, but the antifascists did not move and physically resisted fascists when they attacked. The Nazi march was disrupted. During the fight and immediately after, many people were detained.
In 2007, the Nazi march was legalized, though it went along a very short route and was carefully guarded by police; then, there was a legal Nazi rally in a park. The small group which raised a banner “Death to Fascism” at the entrance to the park was immediately attacked from the back by a special purpose police unit (OMON), all the antifascists were detained.
In 2008, the authorities did not sanction a separate fascist event but the Nazi “patriots” were kindly invited to take part in official city celebration at one of the central city squares. Some of them accepted the invitation. That year police did not allow Nazis to march and demonstrate their banners.
In 2009, a fascist rally was authorized in a park, and several hundred “nationalists” and “patriots” of different shades turned up. Several antifascists went there and raised a banner “Trash Nationalism”; they had time to shout “Fascists kill and authorities cover them up” several times before they were attacked by the participants of the rally and then seized by the police.
Call for Action
We do not know what form the fascist celebration will take this year. All public events are authorized at the last moment in Russia. The way to resist their activity will depend on how many we will be, how well we will be organized and what actions we will consider necessary. In any case, an adequate response to fascist/Nazi activity in Petersburg will require a lot of people and help from activists from many countries.
We are planning to hold an “academic-to-practice” conference on neo-fascism, xenophobia and nationalism, and on resistance to them, in St.Petersburg, and a big antifascist rally.
We are calling on all people of good will, everybody who believe in ideals of internationalism and humanism to take part in antifascist events in St.Petersburg on November 4, 2010. During the Second World War, in the most cruel conditions, Leningrad did not surrender to the fascist blockade. Now, it is time to resist effectively the new wave of neo-fascism and Nazism, in all its manifestations, from everyday xenophobia and street gangs, to state-promoted corporativist “patriotism” and covert manipulation efforts using neo-Nazis that are practiced by the ruling regime.
If you are ready to come and support us, give us your e-mail address, so that we can subscribe you to a special mailing list to coordinate our joint actions. In most European countries it is not a problem now to get a tourist visa to Russia but if somebody needs an invitation we will try to help.
Group of antifascists from Petersburg
De mensen die gearresteerd zijn bij de aanval op het bos zijn inmiddels vrijgelaten. De twee antifascisten uit Moskou die later zijn opgepakt, nadat men het stadhuis van khimki had bestormd, zitten nog steeds vast. Ze worden op een onbekende lokatie vastgehouden.