Protest at Moscow march attacks by police

The Russian organisers of the march and other Russian citizens who took part are still being held in custody and I would ask Green Party members to write to the Russian authorities about this and the violent attack on those trying to organise the march. Furthermore, the vicious attacks on Peter Tatchell and on Volker Beck, the German Green MP, and others requires a protest from the UK authorities and elected representatives, including the Mayor of London, who frequently shares platforms with the Mayor of Moscow.



email address for Yuri Luzhkov, the mayor of Moscow: mayor@mos.ru


email address for Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London: mayor@london.gov.uk .

However, the link at www.kremlin.ru/eng/ to
www.kremlin.ru/eng/eng/articles/send_letter_Eng1.shtml doesn't seem to be working.

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Details of elected representatives can be found at www.locata.co.uk/commons .

Peter's MP is Simon Hughes, [Lib.Dem.], North Southwark & Bermondsey
www.upmystreet.com/commons/postcode/search/l/SE1++6QL.html

His MEP's, listed at www.upmystreet.com/commons/reps/l/SE1%20%206QL.html?euroCode=LON
include Jean Lambert, [Green], who should be supportive.
Their contact details are listed at www.upmystreet.com/local/my-council-reps/my-reps/mep/l/SE1++6QL.html



John Hunt, a London member, has composed the following letter:



Dear Mr. Luzhkov,
I am deeply concerned by reports that a number of participants in Sunday's peaceful "Gay Pride" were arrested, and that some are still being detained.

As the right to peaceful protest is enshrined in Article 20 of the United nations "Universal Declaration on Human Rights", I appeal to you:

[1] to ensure that the peaceful demonstrators are released immediately;

[2] to identify and prosecute the thugs who attacked the peaceful demonstrators;

[3] to issue a personal guarantee that peaceful protests will henceforth be permitted in Moscow.



Nikolai Alekseev, one of the main organisers, has written:



"We ask the western democraties to put a maximum pressure on the Russian Authorities to release us immediately"



"The protocol written by the police is completely falsified and all the Western MEPs and MPS who were with us could confirm it"



"We are accused of having blocked the streets and insulted the police which is a complete lie. We were on the pavement and we never insulted the police. This has never been our methods"



"All this is nothing else that the good old method of KGB. We can see that agents of FSB are at the police station (ex KGB). The same people who were this morning at the hotel trying to prevent us to leave."



"We praise the German Chancellor Merkel who is currently heading the European Union Presidency to raise the question to President Putin"



"We also praise the other leaders of the G8 and the EU to speak publicly on this issue"



"We are very thankfull to Volker Beck, Sophie In't Veld, Vladimir Luxuria and Marco Cappato who came for us in Moscow and of course all the other"



"They can show to the world that Gay and Lesbian rights do not exist in Russia. They can show to the world that freedom of expression not only about politics"



"Please remember the words of Sophie In't Veld at yesterday press conference. There is no such thing as human rights light in which you can just avoid LGBT issues"



"There is no place in Europe for people who do not respect the rights of their citizen. Euroepan demcraties should ban Mayor Luzhkov and his people to enter their countries as they did to officials in Belarus"



"We ask for your help and support. Probably now, more than ever"



Joseph Healy

Green Party Regional council International Friend