10th-13th of December were international days of solidarity with repressed Belarusian anarchists and social activists. Actions took place in 13 cities of six countries. In upcoming days, there will be discussions and fundraising in three more cities of Poland and Belarus.
Currently there are four persons in Belarusian prisons, who are accused of having taken part to various political actions between September 2009 and September 2010.
All of these actions were announced by officials as "hooliganism", to be prosecuted according to Belarusian criminal codex. Thus, voicing ones political position is still considered a crime in Belarus. Mikalaj Dziadok and Aliaksandr Frantskevich have already spent more than three months in a prison, Ihar Alinevich was kidnapped from Moscow to Belarus 28th of November in a common operation of Belarussian and Russian police and secret services, bypassing the legal extradition procedures.
Belarus
Grodno
11th of December a banner was hanged from Rumlyovski bridge, with a text “Freedom to arrested anarchists!”. This bridge is one of the main carriageways to unite two parts of the city, plenty of public and private transport is using it.
Minsk
11th of December there was a small Samba action of Food not Bombs to support anarchist prisoners. Group “Rhytms of resistance” performed in one of the city squares and distributed leaflets about repressions against anarchists. 12th of December a group of anarchists organised a solidarity action in metro station “Nemiga”, hanging a banner “Free anarchists Dziadok, Frantskevich, Vetkin, Alinevich”, and also anarchist Red and Black flag.
Bulgaria
Sofia
13th of December group “Antiauthoritarian action for free society” organised a solidarity picket at the embassy of Belarus in Sofia. Participators of the picked had banner “Freedom to Belarusian anarchists! Down with the dictatorship! In Bulgarian language, and they scanned slogans in Bulgarian and Russians - “Solidarity is our weapon against the power!”, “Rise the black flag higher, state is the main enemy!”, “Down with all power!”, “Our fatherland is the whole humanity!”.
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Russia
Omsk
10th of December anarchists of Omsk organised an un-sanctioned demonstration in main street of the city in solidarity with Belarusian anarchist political prisoners Maksim Vetkin, Mikalaj Dziadok, Aliaksandr Frantskevich and Ihar Alinevich. Participators distributed leaflets, burned flares and scanned “Belarus is a concentration camp – Lukashenko is new Hitler!”, “Today it is them, tomorrow it is you”, “Let the lads go!”, “Freedom to political prisoners!” and had banners “Freedom to prisoners of a fascist regime” and “Lukashenko, let the lads go”. There were no arrests.
Saint-Petersburg
10th December as a protest agains state terror of Lukashenko regime, walls of the houses in neighbourhood of the consul of Belarus in St. Petersburg were painted with stencils, with demands to free the prisoners. 11th and 12th of December St. Petersburg Food Not Bombs organised a solidarity action for Belarus political prisoners. Activists distributed free warm food and distributed leaflets on the situation in Belarus, and also unrolled a banner “Freedom to Belarusian anarchists!”. Although action was not sanctioned by authorities, there were no police provocations.
Moscow
In Moscow, there were actions both 11th and 12th of December, with demands to free imprisoned anarchists. 11th of December 40 people gathered in front of the Embassy of Belarus with banner “Stop repressions against Mikalaj Dziadok, Aliksandr Frantskevich, Maksim Vetkin and Ihar Alineich!”. A performance with four persons in prisoner suits, were walking hands behind their backs as ina prison yard. Next day, there was an unsanctioned demonstration, which bypassed embassy of Belarus, with around 30 participators on Maroseyka street. Colon burned flares and shouted “Freedomto Belarusian anarchists”, “Luka is scum, free anarchists!” and others.
Irkutsk
12th of December in Irkutsk local Food Not Bombs organised a solidarity action for imprisoned anarchists Belarus. Activists distributed vegetarian food to homeless, hanged a banner “Freedom to Belarusian activists” and distributed leaflets. Action was succesfull despite very cold weather. The previous night underpasses of Irkutsk were decoraed with stencils, with demands to free Belarusian anarchists.
Volgograd
12th of December anarchists of Volgograd organised a solidarity march for arrested Belarusian anarchists. Slogans “Freedom, equality, brotherhood”, “Freedom to people, death to empires”, “Freedom to Belarusian anarchists!”, “We hate pigs!” and “A.C.A.B!” were scanned. Police was following the march, but did not took any measures to arrest anyone.
Smolensk
According to mainstream news, 14th of December anti-fascist activist threw a paint bomb to embassy of Belarus in Smolesk. He was arrested and sentenced to 14 days of imprisonement.
Ukraine
Kiev
11th of December RKAS (Revolutionary Confederation of Anarcho-Syndicalists of N.I. Makhno) and unorganised anarchists from various cities of Ukraine and Russia had a solidarity action for illegally arrested Belarusian social activists and anarchists. Protesters organised a performance, which described state of freedom of speech, freedom of press and human rights in Belarus under Lukashenko regime. “President”, a person with a mask of yelling Lukashenko was observing young “prisoners” with hoods over their heads and strangleholds around their necks. Picketeers attempted to pass an appeal to embassy, but security refused and proposed to send it by mail. Ukrainian secret service SBU was filming the action, but there were no police excesses.
Lvov
Anti-fascist movement “Sotsialni Opir” joined the solidarity actions 11th of December. A solidarity graffiti for repressed activists was painted to one of the walls of the city.
Mariupol
11th of December, the day of the human rights, a picked with theme “Freedom to Belarusian anarchists” was organised by local sections of RKAS and SAU (Union of Anarchists of Ukraine). Picket took place in memorial of victims of Golodomor and political repressions in Theater square, and it was attended by 10 persons.
Donetsk
13th of December members of RKAS, Autonomous Action and unaligned anarchists hanged a banner to railway bridge over Leninski prospekt, with a slogan “Freedom to anarchists of Belarus”. Thus Ukrainian anarchists showed their solidarity with repressed Belarusian activists. Video of the action is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znB06qj45C0.
France
Marseille
10th of December a picket was organised outside consul of Russian federation. Participators were solidarising both with Russian anti-fascists, repressed after action at the Khimki city administration in July, and Belarusian anarchists repressed for their political activities. A declaration of support was read. Action was organised by local section of the Anarchist Black Cross.
Czech Republic
Anarchists of Prague organised a solidarity action at the Belarusian embassy. Protesters held banner “Freedom to social activists” in Russian and English languages. A letter of protest, demanding immediate release of arrested anarchists, was passed to embassy, and it was promised that embassy will face problems unless demands are fulfilled.
Besides these actions, in upcoming days ABC-Belarus will organise a solidarity evening for imprisoned anarchists, in Cracow of Poland there will be a discussion with theme “Free Belarus?”, and in Warsaw there will be a concert were donations will be gathered for imprisoned anarchists of Belarus.
Reports are gathered from Indymedia, avtonom.org and other activist websites.
Prison addresses for imprisoned:
Дедку Николаю Александровичу, тюрьма №8, ул. Советская 22а, 222160, Жодино, Минская обл., Беларусь
same in latin letters:
Mikalaj Dziadok, Tyurma N. 8, ul. Sovetskaya 22a, 222160 Zhodino, Minskaya oblast, Belarus
Францкевичу Александру, к.46, СИЗО-1, ул. Володарского, 2, 220050 г. Минск, Беларусь
same in Latin letters:
Aliaksandr Frantskevich, k. 46 SIZO-1, ul. Volodarskogo 2, 220050 Minsk, Belarus
Веткину Максиму Ивановичу, СИЗО-1, ул. Володарского, 2, 220050 Минск, Беларусь
same in Latin letters:
Maksim Vetkin, SIZO-1, ul. Volodarskogo 2, 220050 Minsk, Belarus
Олиневичу Игорю Владимировичу, а/я 8, Главпочтамт, 22050 Минск, Беларусь
same in Latin letters:
Ihar Alinevich, c/o P.O. Box 8, Glavpochtampt, 220050 Minsk, Belarus
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