Week of solidarity with the Khimki hostages: summary of actions

From 2nd of 9th of April 2011 and after, actions to defend “Khimki hostages”, Alexei Gaskarov and brothers Maxim and Denis Solopov were organised in six countries and
25 cities. Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov are currently out from jail, in court facing charges following from a demonstration, which was organised 28th of July 2010 in Moscow suburg of Khimki against construction of Moscow-St. Petersburg toll road, and the gross human rights violations against its opposers. Denis Solopov has been granted an UNCHR refugee status in Ukraine, but in beginning of April he was detained and is currently waiting his deportation court in Lykyanovka prison of Kiev.

To read original, more detailed call to week of actions, visit
http://khimkibattle.org/?p=1931&lang=en

“Continue reading” for full list of actions…

Wheatpasting in Barnaul, Russia

On April 7 Barnaul anarchists pasted up placards demanding the withdrawal of all charges against Alexei Gaskarov, Maxim Solopov, and Denis Solopov, on bus stations.

Night of action in Belgorod, Russia

In Belgorod, anarchist and activist wheatpasted leaflets and hanged a placate to central square, next to city administration.

A banner drop in Chelyabinsk, Russia

The morning of April 9, Chelyabinsk anarchists hung a banner bearing the inscription “Free Khimki Hostages” in support of Maxim Solopov and Alexei Gaskarov.

A demonstration in Copenhagen, Denmark

5th of April local activists, as well as anti-fascists from Malmö of Sweden came to Ukrainian embassy in Copenhagen in order to protest against extradition arrest of Denis Solopov in Ukraine.

Food not Bombs in Glazov, Russia

Already after week of actions, there was a Food Not Bombs-action in Glazov where leaflets were distributed on situation of Khimki hostages 17th of April. Also in evening of 18th of April, leaflets were wheatpasted around the city.

An unexpected visit in Grenoble of France

Monday 4th of April, in opening ceremony of the Russian week of culture, between speeches from a representative of city administration and representative of the Russian embassy, local activists took the scene raising a banner with text “Freedom to forest defenders” in Russian, made a spontaneous speech about the situation around Khimki forest and leafletted visitors. Role of French transnational Vinci-corporation on destruction of Khimki forest was also paid due attention.

Open lecture in Irkutsk of Russia

In Irkutsk, an open lecture on theme “Journalism, freedom of speech and extremism” was organised in one of the universities of the city 7th of April, as part of the common days of action. Speakers were invited from Autonomous Action of Irkutsk and Indymedia-Siberia.

Izhevsk, Russia Solidarity with the Khimki Hostages

Within a common action campaign against criminal persecution of the antifascists Maxim Solopov and Alexei Gaskarov, as well as against Denis Solopov extradition from Ukraine to Russia, a solidarity action took place on April 9. At noon, members of the Autonomous Action-Izhevzk, anarchists and antifascists gathered at the central square of the city and joined a numerous Izhevsk opposition rally where they raised an issue of police repressions against members of the anarchist and antifascist movements. The rally participants reacted positively and were interested in Alexey Gaskarov and Solopov brothers’ fate.

Then, they marched to the building of the Udmurtia State Council where another rally took place. During the rally an Autonomous action member spoke in detail about the Khimki Hostages case fabrication and denounced modern police-oligarchic regime established in the country. During and after the rally leaflets, posters, and stickers on the Khimki Case were pasted up.

Two banner drops in Kaliningrad of Russia

Local left-wing activist of Kaliningrad hanged two banners 9th of April, one for Denis Solopov and one for Khimki hostages in general. Posters were also wheatpasted around the city in night between 8th and 9th of April.

Kharkov of Ukraine for Khimki hostages

In Kharkov, a banner drop for Khimki hostages took place 9th of April. Passers by were curious to learn about the case, and were supportive of the action. Stickers were also distributed in the city transport.

Kiev of Ukraine against persecution of Russian activists

In action, which was perhaps the first demonstration of the week of action, around 50 local activists picketed the Russian embassy, demanding immediate release of Denis Solopov, who is currently remanded in Ukraine. The previous night, unknown activists renamed migration service, which illegally passed Denis to hands of the Ukrainian police, as “Kiev representation of the Khimki pig station”.

A solidarity action in Lvov of Ukraine

5th of April social resistance, a local group in Lvov of Western Ukraine made a banner drop, demanding freedom to Denis Solopov.

Moscow for the Khimki Hostages and for the defence of the Khimki forest

On April 9, activists of the Campaign for the release of the Khimki Hostages held a rally near the Griboedov monument, and a picket in front of the Ukrainian Embassy. The rally attracted an around 100 people. Among the participants were the Khimki Hostages Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov (brother of Denis Solopov who is currently held in the Kiev temporary detention center), representatives of the Movement in defense of the Khimki Forest Yevgeniya Chirikova and Yaroslav Nikitenko (who urged protesters to participate in the international common action week on April 24-30 and sign a petition in defence of the Khimki Forest and for the resignation of the Minister of Transport Igor Levitin), and other ecological and public activists.

Not only speakers but also musicians participated in the rally. Rap-bands  xCHEx and The Chryme Scene, as well as Ryazan rapper Poltora zemlekopov performed in front of the rally participants.

After the meeting the protesters marched to the Ukrainian Embassy in order to hold a picket there. Only 50 persons were authorized to participate in the picket, therefore the rest of them had to stand aside. When picketers standing with banners and placards, shouted “What are you doing here?”, so-called “outsiders” answered “We protest!” Besides, the picketers chanted such slogans as “Free Denis Solopov”, “No political repressions”, “Arrest of Solpov is a shame of Ukraine”, “Saved a tree – put in jail” etc.

At the same day within the common action week a group of antifascists hung a banner bearing the inscription “Justify Denis, Lesha and Max!” at the “Serp I Molot” train station.

A banner drop in Nizhni Novgorod

In Nizhni Novgorod, a banner against attempt to deport Denis Solopov from Ukraine to Russia was dropped from one of the bridges of the city.

Illegal demonstration in Novosibirsk of Russia

Local authorities banned meeting of social-utopian movement “GeoFormation”, but it was organised anyway. Speeches were made and leaflets were distributed, eventually police and “Anti-extremist center” did not arrested anyone.

Banner drop and stencils in Orel, Russia

On the night of April 10, Orel anarchists and antifascists hung a banner and painted stencil graffiti dedicated to the public activists’ detention, as well as distributed leaflets and stickers.

A picket in prosecutor’s office of Perm, Russia

In Perm, local anarchist and left-wing activist picketed regional prosecutor’s office. 15 picketers carried, among others, “extremist” citations from classical Russian writers Pushkin, Tolstoy, Gorky and Mayakovsky.

Protvino, Russia – solidarity with the Khimki Hostages

The solidarity action took place in Protvino town. Stencil graffiti and slogans were painted on walls.

In Serpukhov, Russia – a march in defense of Defendants in Khimki Case

Within the common action week anarchists and anti-authoritarian leftists of Serpukhov, Kaluga, and other neighboring Moscow Region towns held the march through the town streets (from the Town Administration to the railway station) in order to express their solidarity with the Khimki Hostages and other civil activists suffered from state repressions. The demonstration participants were supported by numerous honks of approval from passing drivers.

Activists in Sevilla of Spain for Khimki hostages

During week of actions, placates were put to several parks in the city, demanding freedom to repressed Russian anti-fascists and eco-anarchists.

Stockholm of Sweden – against detention of Denis Solopov

In friday 8th of April, local activists picketed Ukrainian embassy in Sweden, and also wheatpasted the entrance of the embassy with leaflets demanding release of Denis Solopov.

Tyumen – one person picket at Ukrainian consulate

12th of April, Ukrainian consulate was picketed in in Tyumne, in order to protest against attempts to illegally extradite Denis Solopov to Russia.

Volgograd: one-person picket in defense of Denis Solopov

On April 9 a one-person picket in defence of the Khimki Hostage Denis Solopov who is currently held in the Kiev temporary detention center, took place near the Volgograd Regional Court. Besides, Volgograd anarchists distributed leaflets in various parts of the city.

A solidarity action in Yaroslavl

Within the common action week a small picket took place in the center of Yaroslavl on April 8. The participants distributed leaflets, chanted different slogans, and attracted passers-by attention to the history of activists Alexei Gaskarov and Solopov brothers who had suffered from State authorities’ arbitrariness.

Yekaterinburg: Picket in defense of the Khimki Hostages Alexei Gaskarov and Solopov brothers

Within the common action week the picket took place in front of the Sverdlovsk Department of the Interior on Saturday, April 9. The picket attracted an estimated 30 people including leftists, anarcho-communists, and antifascists of Yekaterinburg and Sverdlovsk Region. The activists have collected signatures for a petition urging the Moscow Regional Court and the President of the Russian Federation to stop criminal persecution against Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov.

Additional information: Campaign for the release of the Khimki Hostages
8-915-212-74-17,http://khimkibattle.org/,
info@khimkibattle.org