12 December 2008, 13:46
In Moscow, militiamen dislike slogans of picket against Kremlin's policy in Northern Caucasus
Last night, on December 11, militiamen and a representative of the administration of the Tver District of Moscow moved claims to the slogans of the participants of the weekly picket against violations of human rights in Northern Caucasus. The picket was held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Novopushkinskiy Mini-Park in the centre of the capital, near a big New Year tree decorated with garlands.
Nadir Fatov, one of the picketers, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that at the very start of the action a militia patrol came up to them. Then, other militiamen appeared and started asking about the organizer of the picket and the topic thereof.
Later, the picket was approached by a lady representing the administration of the Tver District of Moscow, who was also, according to Fatov, accompanied by militiamen. Victor Sokirko, organizer of the action, explained to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she moved claims to one of the posters with caricatures on Vladimir Putin and Dmitri Medvedev. The slogan on the poster was appealing the leaders of the country to stop "cracking their fellow citizens down in the toilet". However, the lady refrained from any measures. As Nadir Fatov explained, probably because earlier activists of the Anti-War Club and Committee of Anti-War Actions had won nine cases against the Prefecture of the Central Administrative District of Moscow, which had illegally banned, as the court found out, several pickets applied for by these NGOs.
"War in the Caucasus is a crime against humanity", "20 persons are killed weekly in fights in Northern Caucasus. ORT, RTR, NTV - stop keeping silent on that!", "Bombardments, explosions, skirmishes in the Caucasus - is that peace?", "Policy of FSB provocations is road to terror: Volgodonsk, Kashirka, Ryazan, "Nord-Ost","Rizhskaya", Beslan", "FSB - hands off Petersburg 'Memorial' and us, people!", "Jailers torture Zubairaev" - these and other slogans were written on the headers and posters of the protesters. Over 15 persons took part in the action.
Author: Vyacheslav Feraposhkin, CK correspondent