Nicron #68 25 декабря 1997

Events - Collection of protesters against time payment on Vozdvizhenka.

      "Povremenka - mazday!
          Meeting on December 20


(C) WLODEK BLACK

Photo: (c) Wlodek Black,
scanning and processing - DEL (Alexander Nekrasov)



        Gathering participants on Vozdvizhenka.


20 December, as planned, held a protest rally against the 
tyranny of phone monopolies. At a rally attended by organizers' 
estimates, about 1200 people - the vast majority of college-age 
youth. Organizers - "The Committee of 20 December" - done a lot 
of preparatory work, the quality of which is true respect - the 
event was extremely clear, civilized and ... interesting (!).

Theme of the meeting was exactly the scenario, there is no need 
to re-list the items to the requirements of the authorities - 
all one hundred percent corresponds to the newsletter, which, 
in particular, published in NICRON-e. It is hardly possible 
even to list the names of networks, whose representatives came 
on the area of ​​the free (!) of Russia on Saturday. As equal 
among equals, walked on the New Arbat and column ZXNet (095). 



    Michael SuperMike with his poster "ZXNet (095)"
    at the collection site on Vozdvizhenka.


  People began to gather on Vozdvizhenka, the Metro Library
them. Lenin, "in 13 hours. It turned out that street procession 
is not allowed. The police strongly recommended that all go to 
a place a rally, not accumulating here, eventually adding a 
megaphone: "You can be late!". Hint (it is clear: do not leave 
time - we overclock) was correctly understood, and the 
demonstration moved in the direction of City Hall. Although the 
procession and was not allowed, in fact, it happened: people 
were quite foreseeable column, not putting the posters in many 
over his shoulder hung handsets - original stock symbol. All 
the way from Vozdvizhenka to City Hall one (meaning the police) 
do not "pass" column. The procedure provided a small but 
extremely professional retainers from the Organizing Committee 
- men with white bands on sleeves, with pocket radios. But 
nobody was going to break fussy, but perfectly ordinary Sabbath 
rhythm of one of the most central streets of the city; column 
safely reached the destination at 13:50, and by 14 o'clock - 
the official starting time the meeting - he was ready. 



      "Sir," personifies the idea of ​​carriers povremyanki.

   On the left was a signature piece, "Luzhkov (the picture is 
not visible). 

   IMHO, this is the first time that Yuri Mikhailovich so 
severely 

   inherited from the youth!


  The rally began at 14 hours ... outage. Two
not too strong a megaphone were unable to overcome
noise of the Moscow center, but, in general, could be heard. By 
Vladimir Matveev and Sergei Simonenko (one of the leaders of 
the "December 20") speakers from the networks, a representative 
from the "Yabloko". People supported speakers, chanting: 
"Povremenka - mazday", "Quality!" "33600". " Some have tried to 
swing with beer bottles, but they pull down their comrades. A 
scarecrow with a telephone instead of a head slowly overgrown 
by donations of the people - the motherboard of 286, broken 
mouse raspihannymi the pockets of his jacket and defiantly 
sticking hundred-ruble note ... Strength of the protest crowd 
was not much in the arguments (the arguments are well known: 
trampled upon the rights of citizens to access information; 
MGTS not provide any new services, call quality is poor, for 
the lonely and sick people - the phone is only means of 
communication, etc.), but in the fact the rally, the number of 
participants and their age. In the representation of the 
"democrats" youth is always their support. AND Behold - a 
barrage of accusations not weak against the authorities! 
Politics is not Organizing Committee stated as a mandatory 
element of the action, but it was, was! And lihoe "Do not 
listen - do not vote for you!" sound is not corny or naive. 
Authorities are trying to strike passion for youth - and 
tomorrow computer networks should be an integral part of 
culture and civilization, not only highbrow "hobby". Actually, 
in large cities, the centers science, production, business and 
already has. It is no coincidence protest was planned at the 
same time in many major cities. And yet, when 
telecommunications is still largely perceived as a hobby, 
bringing the positive emotions experienced by an attack on them 
certainly sharper than, say, has long been the ongoing assault 
on education and health. Does not take into account the 
psychological aspect - it means to cook youth explosion of 
anger, great in justice, but by crushing force. 



              Tribune rally.

Sounded and a kind of fear: "How many desperate people will 
bring their own lives, unable to call helpline? After the 
service trust have the usual seven-digit numbers without 
privileges, and conversations with psychologists did not last 
for one to two minutes. "No, not only the right to information 
is questioned by the authorities - the right to life. 



Participated in the rally and the real political forces - youth
Section Yabloko. Initially, a representative of this 
association, as states met on clothes, but listen to the speech 
understood that a well-dressed young man said in unison, the 
crowd and began to greet the speaker.


  Press Secretary of the Organizing Committee of "December 20" 
Sergey Simonenkov was interviewed by TV reporters, as it turned 
out, not in vain - reports of a meeting held on 31-th channel, 
they found the next day "Segodnyachko, mentioned about the 
campaign and radio stations. The newspaper Moskovsky 
Komsomolets published an article. The volume and urgency of 
messages by the official media, unfortunately, no doubt 
influenced by the tragic events at the Swedish embassy - in 
those days issue of terrorism would not come from TV screens 
and newspaper pages. But even against this background that the 
rally was highlighted in the media very much, and Sergei 
Simonenkov rightly considers campaign a success. Indeed: to say 
what they wanted - said, public order are not violated, 
gathered 1200 people in a small time alerts and the lack of 
precedents - Yes. Of course, it would be good to see more such 
meetings are not needed. But if the life force - the next time 
will meet ten times more people. 



        Acts spokesman of the Organizing Committee.


  Among the planned performances also means a small
concert by the rock group. Unfortunately, even when they gave 
electricity technical problems did not allow musicians to play 
their topical songs. But Denis Kazachkov, one of the leaders of 
higher sector of the Organizing Committee, led the second half 
rally as zapravsky an experienced DJ. This charming young man 
with a wonderful mischievous smile turned anger into laughter, 
and laughter - into a weapon, and it was terrible wrath! And 
let the midst of this pungent and stinging laughter sometimes 
soared into the sky raised hands with protruding middle fingers 
;-), then turned to the mayor's office, then to "White House" - 
all was definitely easier on the soul: it does not doubted, not 
scared - and even spoke laugh! AND just under a thunder of 
applause and laughter amplified microphone Denis was defeated 
ground clumsy gray rag man " -Stuffed "evil," and he was 
crushed to pieces and left on it only two metal cups with calls 
from the telephone that replaces the head of this "master"! 



            Fragment of speech.


  ... Another little-known reaction of the authorities to
protest. But in the eyes of the participants, and all network 
users the results are clear: a meeting Dec. 20 showed that 
enthusiasm young people can organize themselves to defend their 
own (and not just their own!) rights, that setting up youth 
political demands - just a step, that the myth of the 
all-embracing support of youngsters, "democratic" reforms "is 
bursting at the the seams already, even in the center of 
Moscow, and even not really on the political scene, but ... 
Recall: in the virtual world of telecommunications as there 
was, and is not "white" and "black", "masters" and "Slaves", it 
never fell apart and continues to live in our hearts buddy 
great union of fraternal peoples. And for that, too worth 
fighting for, to defend, as their land. 



        Emotionally, but ... true.



            Verses from the rostrum of the rally.