Russia, Udmurtia, protest actioncamp against Lockheed Marti

Protest camp in Udmurtia, Russia

Protest camp organized by social ecological movement Rainbow Keepers and local activists from city of Votkinsk started at 18th July 2001. Camp is a part of campaign against reconstruction of a plant for utilization of raket fuel. American corporation Lockheed Martin is building the plant nearby Votkinsk, city of over 100 000 inhabitants. The project is stogly lobbed and financially supported by the government of U.S.A.

In the camp is constantly living around 100 protestors from all around Russia, Ukraine and Finland. The camp is daily visited by local inhabitants, who support the camp also financially. 26th July the campaign against plant organized an demonstration against reconstruction of a plant for utilization of raket fuel with over 2500 participants. The protestors are also holding daily infotable in the centre of Votkinsk.

Even though by statistics 98% of local inhabitants are against the plant, the protest camp also faced resistance. 30th July camp was attacked and one tent was burned with fuel. Fortunately local youth who slept in the tent, woke up in time no-one was injured. Next day the camp was visited by a group of aggressive men who hit one protestor and drove over three tents, which were luckily empty at the moment.

Police is also daily visiting the camp and checking protestors identity. At the1st of August traffic guide didn't let the bus of protestors theatre group drive in to Izhevsk, capital of Udmurtia. Directly after the show in the centre of Izhevsk three actors and four members of audience were arrested about participation in illegal meeting. Six of them spent 20 hours in the jail, after the trial everyone was released. One Finnish citizen got warned about possible deportation from Russia. During the same day five helders of infotable in Votkinsk were also arrested and held three hours only for checking their identities.

3th of August Rainbow Keepers organized together with local people an blockade infront of the office of Lockheed Martin in the city of Votkinsk. The main entrance was blocked for four hours. Two activists held banderols from the roof of the house next to office. They were both caught, but one managed to run away with support of locals, the other one got beaten and arrested. When police tried to drive out from the area with the arrested activist, the road was spontanously blocked for half an hour by activists and local people. Police violently throwed people away from the street and drove away with arrested activist. After that police arrested three more people who drove by cars to the direction of police office. After that the governor of the city came to the place of the action by the call of protestors and had negotiations wth police and protestors. The solution was to release arrested activists and to end the blockade of the office.

The next action 7th of august, was planned to happen in front of the court, to support the governor of the city V. L. Fridrich who was accused for giving permission to the demonstration against the reconstruction of a plant for utilization of roket fuel at 26th July.

Violence in Votkinsk continues, police arrests more Rainbow Keepers activists

On 7th of August at 10 o'clock 11 police officers came to the protest camp and arrested one Rainbow Keepers activist and journalist from Izhevsk.

About noon at the central square of Votkinsk during the youth festival two more people were arrested when police officers began checking the documents of the activists taking part in the street theater. one activist from Samara was arrested for taking part in the action at 3rd of August (see press-release 03rd August 2001). Another activist from Tampere, Finland, was taken to Izhevsk city, the capital of Udmurtia, for deportation from Russia. Other participants of the theater were caught at the street and warned not to go to the meeting in front of the court.

Trial against the Rainbow Keepers activists

On 7th of August the trial against 5 activists took place. Since 1:30 PM local people were gathering near the court, including support group from nearby city Chajkovskij. Rainbow Keepers activists covered their faces with masks to protect themselves from arrests, which were made all the day by video materials of police. The case was closed, though the members of local and regional press and deputies were let in. The case was going on the whole day with plenty of breaks. During one day the case was not finished. The trial didn't find any concrete material against activists, because all the material was considered as general about the meeting, not about some individuals. The court decided to keep 2 activists arrested until the next trial.

People gathered in front of the court and tried not to let the police bus with the activists go back to the police station. They organized a blocade and shouted "Let them out!" The police bus went back for a while until more police officers came to the place. Police tried to push activists who were sitting in front of the police bus and take them into police car. From time to time serious violent clashes were taking place. One time police was attacked by around 40-50 people. Police first hit them back and then caught and arrested a few of them.

At this moment 6 activists are arrested activists. Some of them immediately proclaimed hunger strike. After a short discussion people decided not to fight with the police but to go to mayor's house instead. By some informations the police head officer Kozlov from Izhevsk, who ordered the police to use more heavy methods, was visiting the mayor's house at that moment.

The protest camp is still going on and the activists from Rainbow Keepers and local activists need your support.

You can join the camp.
You can send a letter of protest to:
Lockheed Martin:
Director, Corporate Media Relations
james.fetig@lmco.com
Director, Public Relations
hugh.burns@lmco.com

President of Udmurtia A.A.Volkov:
tel. +7 (3412) 75 39 80
fax: +7(3412) 75 29 87

Or you can send financial suport for the actioncamp to :
Prominvestbank
Address: per. T.Shevchenko 12, Kiev, Ukraine.
Bank correspondent of USA:
Bank of New-York, New-York,
account 8900060077, S.W.I.F.T. IRVT US 3N
payee name: Nadiya Shevchenko, passport # AE416429

http://www.goryachiy.narod.ru

More details:
Rainbow Keepers protest camp in Votkinsk city
Tel. +7 (341-45) 5-75-10
e-mail rkvotkinsk@mail.ru

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