Saturday 10 December 2011

Fair Vote For Russia - Protests in DC

This afternoon, I was at the DC protests against electoral fraud in the 4th Dec Duma elections. Around 100 people came so the turnout wasn't great. BUT 100,000+ protested in Moscow and that's a huge victory for Russia!

Back to DC, here is what you missed outside the Russian embassy:
1. I was one of the first people to get there. The police told us to go to the other side of the road. Not sure if these were DC police orders or the embassy had asked the police to tell us to stay away from the building
2. Nice peaceful protests. It was a slow start but then the crowd built up. Lots of interesting signs and posters. Some volunteers were distributing white carnations and tulips, as well as white ribbons - symbols of the protests
3. The first news channel to get there was...(drumrolls please)...Georgia's Rustavi 2! I'm sure Saakashvili is very happy with the developments in Russia! Kremlin-backed RT joined later and the Russians didn't seem too happy about that; some even called them, "shpioni" (spies).
4. A couple of guitar-'imeyushie' even played a few songs that I didn't recognize. I thought they'd play Viktor Tsoi's 'Peremen' - which I hear has become something of an anthem for these protests in Russia - but I guess it hasn't caught on everywhere else yet.
5. We had a signboard asking people driving by in cars to honk in support of a fair election in Russia. I was quite happy to see that many did!

Memo to self for any future participation in peaceful protests:
1. If the temperature is anywhere near 0 degrees, carry a pair of gloves
2. This is yet another reason why you should learn how to play a musical instrument
3. Even if you don't have all the materials to make the perfect signboard, scribble something on an A4 sheet in bright red pen. It's more fun that way!







Ok now I better get back to writing my paper, 'Predicting a Revolution in Russia.' I picked the topic in November but never in my wildest dreams imagined anything was possible or that things would become so interesting! Bravo Rossiyanini - you make me so proud!

Wednesday 7 December 2011

20 years since the collapse of the USSR!

A historic day today - for two reasons: 1. it is the 20th anniversary of the Soviet collapse; 2. this is the only time I will agree with Vladimir Putin and say that it indeed was the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century."



So here I remember the great state with some nostalgia and some fear, with a prayer for those who never saw freedom in their lifetimes, and hope for those who are currently fighting for their rights in Moscow and other cities across Russia against the electoral fraud committed by Putin's United Russia in the 2011 Duma elections.

Going back to humming this old Soviet tune: Moi adres ne dom i ne ulitsa, moi adres Sovetskii Soyuz (my address isn't a house or a street, my address is the Soviet Union.