Worldwide protests against brutal attack on three Russian socialists

ON 7 August, Russian CWI activist, Igor Yasin, and two other CWI members, were brutally attacked by thugs following a peaceful protest in Moscow over the proposed construction of a major new road through part of Moscow's green belt. French based multinational, Vinci, has been given the contract for the new road project.

All three CWI members suffered injuries - Igor suffered a fractured skull. The thugs were dressed similarly to those who attacked an environmentalist camp earlier that week.

Since the attack on the Moscow comrades, hundreds of solidarity letters have been sent and pickets and protests organised in Berlin and Hamburg, London, Dublin, Stockholm and Gothenburg, Brussels, Vienna, Tel Aviv and Hong-Kong.

London Socialist Party members travelled to Watford to deliver a protest letter to the Vinci regional office. Security wouldn't let us anywhere near the building let alone go in to hand over the letter. So we stood on the pavement and were able to discuss with workers on their lunch break why we were there.

Eventually a Vinci representative deigned to take our letter. After attempts to stop us taking pictures failed the police were called. The police view was that if Vinci were embarrassed having a protest outside their office, having the police turn up too would only make it worse. They showed particular interest in our placard condemning police repression.

STOP PRESS: President Dmitry Medvedev announces 'suspension' of motorway construction through Khimkinsky forest. See www.socialistworld.net for updates.

IGOR YASIN was released from hospital last weekend and sent the following message to CWI members around the world, and all those socialists, trade unionists and activists who have protested on his behalf.

Dear comrades,

On behalf of the CWI comrades in Russia, we would like to thank you very much for your support after a group of fascists attacked our comrades in Moscow....

Our solidarity campaign has demonstrated the strength of the CWI, as a lively socialist internationalist organisation fighting for a sustainable environment and socialism worldwide. The French comrades have raised the issue with the CGT trade unionists at the Vinci company.

A group of South African trade unionists sent their support. So too did socialist activists from the Lebanon and Israel/Palestine.

Joe Higgins MEP has written a letter demanding an explanation from the Russian government. Notwithstanding the attacks on us, we will not relent in our struggle."

Comradely, Igor Yasin

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