Report from the Russian Social Forum at the G8

international | summit mobilisations | other press Tuesday July 18, 2006 17:31 by Garrett Mullan - Socialist Party garrettmullan at gmail dot com 086 392 7650

Democracy is being eroded in Russia

The contrast between the protests at the G8 in Edinburgh 2005 and in St Petersburg 2006 could not be more stark. Last year we saw New Labour government ministers turning up at Live8 protests and concerts. This year 1billion Euro has been spent on all aspect of the G8 conference including a very significant security budget.

Protests have been banned. People attending the counter summit have been blockaded into the Kirov Stadium isolated in the west section of the city. Possibly out of spite on the part of authorities, protesters were not able to bring any drink to their own event and all bars in a two mile radius were closed.

Opposition activists had made epic journeys to attend the event from all parts of Russia. I met with the secretary of the Irish Socialist Party's sister organisation at Moscow railway station in St Petersburg. The member he had been travelling with had been called in for questioning. The Russian Social Forum was blockaded into the 50,000 capacity Kirov stadium on the shores of the Gulf of Finland.

Participants had to walk through metal detactor checkpoint to enter the crumbling stadium. There were at least ten police at the checkpoint at all times and others at various points surrounding the stadium. They were armed with cuffs, batons, guns and even grenades. Also on 24 hour patrol at the stadium were the riot police Oxrana who mingled with what were obviously plainclothes police.

Meanwhile, helicopters swooped over the city's glittering domes and spires and frogmen in camouflage dove below boats and hydrofoils plying the nearby Gulf of Finland. Cruises on the city's winding canals and rivers — a popular tourist activity — are banned for the duration of the summit, and the airport was closed to commercial flights for the same period. Even the park where the stadium lies is under tight rein. A complex of amusement rides was shut down through Monday and nearby kiosks and game booths were idle.

Full story at my blog