Today anarchist initiative Antinuclear Resistance held a few actions dedicated to the anniversary of Chernobyl disaster. It is common knowledge that a traditional demonstration "Charnobylski Shlah" is being held on this day organised by different political forces of the country. More than 5 years anarchsits represent the most active and (for the last 2 years) the most numerous group of protesters (you can see some pics from 2008 http://belarus.avtonom.org/?p=1661#more-1661 and from 2009 http://www.youtube.com/user/redhead05ster#p/a/u/2/fcZoFKiAvQg ). This year was different. Not only did anarchists not attend the demonstration, but called to boycott it and hold other antinuclear actions. They made their action in front of a movie theater in Minsk, playing samba-rhythms, shouting out anarchist and antinuclear slogans and delivering a speech explaining anarchists position concerning NPP construction through a loud-hailer. Apart from this, the actioners distributed leaflets, attracted attention by flags and fusees.

Pics: https://belarus.indymedia.org/20079

During this picket a small group of activists attended Charnobylski Shlah to distribute other leaflets named "Why are anarchists absent from Charnobylski Shlah?" Three main reasons were listed:

1.this year the authorities made a fence with metals detector points, seaching and filming everyone who entered the place of the demo.

2.The demonstration is losing its protesting character becoming rather a mournful event. Most of the people there don't care about the new power plant, they only want to commemorate the Chernobyl victims, which is stupid. Some of the official organisers even claimed that they will give anarchists and gays to the police as instigators and wanted to ban anarchist speeches and drum music during the event.

3.Presence of the far-right and clear fascists on the latest demonstrations without any protest from other "liberals". It/s become clear that the opposition would tolerate everyone to have more mass actions and will take the side of those if anarchists try to attack them. Pics of the fascists on 25th March: http://i057.radikal.ru/1003/90/96569d919aed.jpg and http://i069.radikal.ru/1003/3d/47d21517a918.jpg

Anarchists will never march peacefully with the fascists, even if that prevents them from expressing our view in public.

For these reasons we don't see a point in participating in "Charnobylski Shlah" this year( and maybe any more).

There was another secret group of fighters who would wait in the area of "Charnobylski Shlah" to make the fascists' life more painful if they turned at the event. But they showed up only in small groups and were probably waiting for anarchists to appear.

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTWt0LqYLQE

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Anarchist initiative Antinuclear Resistance antiatombel(A)riseup.net http://belarusantiatom.info/