NOVOSIBIRSK: UNLIMITED PROTEST MARCH APRIL 1
On April 1, in Novosibirsk, a rally and a march of three thousand pensioners took place against governor Yurchenko’s decision to abolish unlimited travel for pensioners on public transport.
Firstly, a meeting was held outside the building of the government headquarters of Novosibirsk region, and then a march took place on the pavement of Krasny Prospect to Lenin Square, where they held a rally. After that, they then marched back to Lenin Street, and a rally taking place by the ruling "United Russia" Party.
This is the seventh rally by pensioners. The authorities expected that the wave of popular protests would subside, but they miscalculated - on the contrary, from protest to protest the popular outrage is growing. Today's rally and march was attended by about 2,5 - 3 thousand people.
More than a dozen social movements and political parties took part in the protest for the rights of pensioners.
This time, the authorities and the police tried to provoke the organizers and pensioner. The fact is, as in the previous protests, this march was not sanctioned by the City’s Mayor. But this time, the organizers notified the police about the march going ahead on the road along Krasny Prospect and not on the pavement. However, the police deliberately failed to set up a police cordon along the road to stop traffic, and so at the same time did not stop the traffic flow (which is at the centre of the city and was quite busy). Before the rally organizers were repeatedly warned about criminal liability under the Russian Criminal Code Article 267 (blocking traffic arteries). The authorities had hoped that the organizers and the people would take to the roadway, finish up under the wheels of cars, so that then they could begin prosecution of the protest organizers, and - to disrupt and decapitate the protest itself. But the organizers did not succumb to the police provocations, and made the right decision - to go on the pavement of Krasny Prospect. Yes, the people had to retreat, but only in order to preserve the movement and to gather force and hit the authorities harder. The challenge now – is to bring onto the streets 5-10 thousand people!
The march stretched for several kilometres - from the Government buidling to the Lenin Square. See photos and video footage.
With rising popular anger, the authorites - the ruling party "United Russia" were forced to maneuver and take action to somehow save face.
On March 31, the eve of the day's action, at a meeting of the faction "United Russia" in the Legislative Assembly and city council members led by Governor Yurchenko, with incredible haste and in secret, made amendments to the order on receiving discount fares on public transport. Entitlement to unlimited travel on public transport has now been returned to one category of citizens – the workers in the rear during World War II (40 thousand of them). This is a concession by the authorities, achieved, thanks to the PROTEST ACTIONS. The authorities took this decision under the pressure from the masses.
For the rest of pensioners - 160 thousand of them, (80%) the situation remains virtually unchanged: that is the "annual limit" of free rides on public transport is limited to 360 trips per year (those very same 30 trips per month). If a pensioner uses up all these trips, he or she is "given" an additional 60 trips per month, but at half price fares. Such a solution makes a mockery of pensioners.
It is no coincidence that this decision and its announcement in the media was taken just before the rally on April 1. Why? Because the government fears the people, afraid of the people's anger and thus throws to the people a handout to appease the people and bring down the heat of battle. But they have failed to achieve that – today there are grearter numbers than in earlier protests, and were set to continue the struggle.
Can the people be satisfied with this mocking sop from the authorities and refuse to fight on? NO! Such was the keynote speeches today.
Our demands were and still are – the reversal of governor Yurchenko’s decision and the restoration of the rights to all pensioners to unlimited free travel on public transport. Until then, until a decision is taken, we will continue mass protests and daily increase their strength and mass!
April 15 will be the next rally and march! The struggle continues!
Alexei Denisyuk, AUCPB
One of the organizers and leaders of the rally and march on April 1
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Moscow – April 2
RALLY IN MOSCOW IN SUPPORT OF LIBYA
On April 2, 2011 in Moscow at the monument to Karl Marx, a rally was held in support of Libya, organized by left-wing communist parties and organizations. All the speakers were unanimous in their statements and condemned the criminal aggression of the United States and its satellites against the people of Libya. It was noted that the war against Libya - this is just another link in the chain of aggressions against Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan. The Americans are brazenly trying, (and Obama is "proudly declaring,") to aquire for himself the right to decide what social system should be in place, and who should be in power in one country or another.
The U.S. is trying to turn into "nothing" unable to be anything meaningful, the concept of sovereignty of each independent country, its aboriginal right to determine for itself all questions of its life. Without a doubt, these brazen antics by the U.S. became possible only after the tragic destruction of the Soviet Union, the former a reliable guarantor of peace and stability throughout the world.
Speakers noted the tremendous economic success over the decades of government of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, who turned this formerly impoverished, backward, feudal country into a country with living standards higher than the current Russia, where education and medicine are free, gasoline and bread cost pennies, and the salary of school teachers are $3000 a month. Compare this to the salaries of Russian teachers. This is the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. And this has been achieved in the decades when the country has been led by Muammar Gaddafi.
Gaddafi, leader of the Libyan Revolution, intended to obtain a review of oil contracts with Western monopolies, so that not 50% but 80% of crude oil went to the Libyan people, sparking a wild rage among the American imperialists. The U.S. mobilized an obedient, "tame" majority in the UN Security Council. The adopted on 17 March UN resolution 1973 on Libya without a doubt will go down in history as a nasty bloodthirsty document, standing on par with the Munich agreement with Hitler.
Hundreds of bombs and missiles have rained down onto the peaceful people of Libya, where hundreds of old men, women and children are now victims of the another American "struggle for democracy". But the "quick win blitzkreig" against Gaddafi did not happen. He has led an army to stand to the death for freedom and independence of the Libyan people, against attempts to divide Libya. And their desire to win will defeat the enemy.
Speakers at the rally, as a rule, finished their statements calling for: "Hands off Libya", "Hold on, al-Qadhafi!"
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