Parents take to streets against ex KGB agency that arrests their children
In Moscow, 1000 people gathered in front of the Lubianka. Demonstrations also in St. Petersburg, Penza, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov. Their children are considered dangerous for the state security, accused of "terrorism". Alongside ordinary citizens, famous dissidents, actors, writers and artists. Everyone is afraid of a return to the Stalinist controls.
Moscow (AsiaNews) - For the first time in Russia, parents and citizens without any political affiliation have demonstrated against the repressions of the FSB (security services, formerly KGB). The protest took place last October 28 in the capital and in several Russian cities. In Moscow, about 1,000 people marched in front of Lubyanka, the notorious Stalinist palace of Čeka, inherited from successive versions of Soviet and Russian political police up to the current FSB. Parents demand news on the fate of their children, young people arrested in recent times on charges of terrorism and sedition.
The purpose of the protests is to "break down the wall of silence" around the arrests and state repressions of young people considered dangerous for state security. There are two groups of people arrested: those belonging to the Novoe Velichye association ("The new greatness"), in which the young people discuss political questions on an online chat, occasionally meeting at bars and cafes, and those of the so-called Set '("The Net") , considered terrorists, young anarchists and anti-fascists who would have conspired to organize subversive acts. Of the first group, 10 people are currently on trial, accused of "attempted coup d'état" supported by three testimonies of people infiltrated by the same FSB; 11 are from "Network", accused of attempts to gather in various cities in "subversive cells" and plan terrorist acts.
The young people have reportedly been tortured psychologically and physically, and service agents would have planted weapons in their bags and homes when they were arrested. Their parents then got together via the Internet in the "Parental Network" with the slogan of #StopFSB, to get together to protest and demand the truth about police actions. The demonstrations were not authorized by the authorities, and the participants knew they were going to be arrested and repressed.
It is the first time that groups of citizens, in particular parents, have gathered in Russia, without any political coordination, not even "public" opponents in Naval'nyj. As stated by Dmitry Pchelintsev, whose son has been imprisoned for over a year in Penza: "Many are indignant at the violent actions of the government, but remain at home, out of laziness or due to bad weather, while parents come in any case because no one else will defend our children ". In fact, the title of the event was "For our and your children - In defense of the new generations".
The demonstrators gathered in small numbers, without banners or placards, while in front of the Lubyanka 300 anti-riot agents were deployed. Among the defendants there were also some historical dissidents, Lev Rubinstein, Josif Galperin, Aleksandr Rykhlin, but also actors, writers and artists, alongside ordinary citizens and exponents of various anarchist groups. Without journalists and cameras, the procession moved in heavy rain from the Tverskoy Bulvar to the center of Moscow to the Lubyanka square, passing by Red Square.
In the end more than 20 people were detained in Moscow, more than 30 in St. Petersburg, where the police used particularly violent means to disperse the crowd. Similar demonstrations took place in Penza, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov and other cities, where there were also violence and arrests. A protest was even organized in Helsinki, in front of the Russian consulate, with slogans in English and Finnish saying "The FSB is the real terrorist!" And "Solidarity has no borders, freedom for political prisoners!".
State television downplayed the events by presenting protesters as "marginal" and supporters of terrorists. In reality, the fear of repression is spreading among the population, as well as the fear that it can degenerate into a sort of generalized "terror" that extends even to a simple "like" on social media, with agents appearing at the home of ordinary citizens like in Stalin's times.
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