10,000 scold Putin over Sacred Day

[Berianidze]

10,000 Scold Putin Over 'Sacred' Day

By Carl Schreck
Staff Writer

Vladimir Filonov / MT

Thousands of Communists, National Bolsheviks and other leftist political activists marching down Tverskaya Ulitsa to the statue of Karl Marx on Monday.


Officially it was just another workday. But for thousands of Communists and leftist political activists, Monday was a day to take to the streets in honor of the "sacred" anniversary of the 1917 Revolution and to castigate the government of President Vladimir Putin, who scrapped the Nov. 7 holiday late last year, replacing it with the Nov. 4 People's Unity Day.

More than 10,000 demonstrators carrying Soviet flags and banners, signs ridiculing the government and oligarchs, and portraits of Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin marched from Triumfalnaya Ploschchad to the statue of Karl Marx across from the Bolshoi Theater in celebration of the 88th anniversary of the October Revolution on Monday afternoon, the first time in decades that the day was not an official state holiday.

But the mood among the demonstrators, primarily Communist pensioners and members of leftist youth groups, was as confrontational as it was celebratory, with young and old alike hurling vitriol at Russia's political and economic elite and scolding Putin for canceling the Nov. 7 holiday.

"This was a move by a brainless government," said Maya Pulkanova, a 70-year-old pensioner who was holding a miniature Soviet hammer-and-sickle flag and muttering "Russia without Putin" to no one in particular.

Valentina Metelyova-Volskaya, 75, said the government canceled the holiday in an attempt to stem pensioners' protests of social and housing reforms.

"The authorities are scared of us, and that's why they are trying to take away our sacred, eternal holiday," Metelyova-Volskaya said.

Similar demonstrations on a smaller scale were held all across Russia on Monday. In St. Petersburg, around 5,000 Communists and their supporters gathered, chanting for Communist unity and the "rebirth of the Soviet Union," RIA-Novosti reported.

The meeting point near the Mayakovsky monument ahead of the Moscow demonstration was a bazaar of populism, conspiracy theories and Soviet nostalgia.

One vociferous pensioner expounded on a U.S.-Israeli conspiracy to sabotage Russian wheat production, while other demonstrators roamed the square with signs accusing Putin and his government of taking secret orders from U.S. President George W. Bush to destroy Russia.

"The order is being carried out," one sign read.

One large banner that required five people to hold it read "Fridman, Return $8 Billion and Oil to the People!" One small sign showed Putin squatting atop a toilet supported by tank tracks and with a cannon sticking out of the bowl.

"I'll waste everyone," the sign had Putin saying, in a reference to his famous statement that Russia would "waste" terrorists even "in the outhouse."



Vladimir Filonov / MT

Two generations of Communist activists marching past the Mayor's Office on Tverskaya Ulitsa on Monday afternoon.


At least 11,000 demonstrators took part in the march, and 3,360 policemen were assigned to crowd-control duties, police spokesman Kirill Sharov said Monday. Several law enforcement officers in plainclothes were mingling in the crowd rather conspicuously, carrying hand-held cameras, their walkie-talkies blaring from under their overcoats.

The march was let by a brass band playing communist and World War II songs and a banner that almost spanned the entire width of Tverskaya Ulitsa reading "Hail the 88th Anniversary of Great October!"

Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov marched with a red woolen KPRF scarf around his neck and waved a bouquet of red flowers.

"There were two great events in the history of our country," Zyuganov told the crowd, Interfax reported. "Great October and the Great Patriotic War. ... Our troubles began as soon as the ideals of October were betrayed."

More than 100 members of the National Bolshevik Party took part in the demonstration, carrying NBP flags and photographs of fellow party members on trial or serving time in connection with political stunts, such as seizing the reception of the presidential administration and throwing pictures of Putin out the window of the Health and Social Development Ministry.

"The government canceled the holiday, but it is a tradition for us to celebrate on this day and it is a chance to unite with people of all different persuasions," said Natalya, a 20-year-old NBP member who declined to give her last name.



Itar-Tass

Soldiers dressed in Red Army World War II uniforms marching across Red Square on Monday to honor a 1941 parade.


The march came hours after a parade on Red Square by around 400 World War II veterans to honor the thousands of Soviet troops who marched in the 1941 Revolution Day parade and then went directly to the front to defend Moscow from German forces, who were 50 kilometers from the city. Some 40 to 50 of about 100 surviving participants in the 1941 parade marched on Monday morning, NTV television reported.

The inaugural People's Unity Day, which is supposed to commemorate the day in 1612 that Moscow was liberated from Polish occupation, was celebrated Friday as a replacement for the Nov. 7 holiday, which was celebrated as the Day of Accord and Reconciliation in the 1990s.

But a nationwide survey by the independent Levada Center in mid-October showed that only 8 percent of Russians were aware of the new holiday and 63 percent opposed the abolition of the Nov. 7 holiday.

Mikhail Belyayev, 60, called the scrapping of the holiday an "absolute tragedy."

"The political climate has changed, and now money is the most important thing," Belyayev said. "They are trying to erase the memory of the people

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/11/08/002.html

[Berianidze]

Long live the memory of the Bolshevik revolution; this is an excellent sign indeed, to see so many angry communists in Russia, the discontent is growing. It's also a great sign to hear (to no surprise) that the activists are carrying banners of Lenin and Stalin. I want to share this with all the new left "communists" who say the Russian people hated Stalin.

[Probably maybe]

Long live the memory of the Bolshevik revolution; this is an excellent sign indeed, to see so many angry communists in Russia, the discontent is growing. It's also a great sign to hear (to no surprise) that the activists are carrying banners of Lenin and Stalin. I want to share this with all the new left "communists" who say the Russian people hated Stalin.


Most of those 'activists' are 70-years old grannies who are obviously too old to be sane. ;)

[Berianidze]

Most of those 'activists' are 70-years old grannies who are obviously too old to be sane. ;)
False. If you look at these pictures, you can see many young communists who have joined alongisde their elders (whom are far from insnane but rather very displeased with the way things are going in Russia).

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/photos/large/2005_11/2005_11_08/front_2.jpg

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/photos/large/2005_11/2005_11_08/skiers_2.jpg

[Probably maybe]

False. If you look at these pictures, you can see many young communists who have joined alongisde their elders (whom are far from insnane but rather very displeased with the way things are going in Russia).

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/photos/large/2005_11/2005_11_08/front_2.jpg

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/photos/large/2005_11/2005_11_08/skiers_2.jpg


Those young people are simply have nothing to do with their lives - I can bet some of them just punks who think that to be opposite to something is cool. Some of them are just anarchists who don't care much for the poplitics. And yes, granny on that picture just prooves that I have said.

[Jimbo Gomez]

Hah, they're fighting a losing battle. Russia will be nationalist without being communist in the future. As it should be.

[Berianidze]

Those young people are simply have nothing to do with their lives - I can bet some of them just punks who think that to be opposite to something is cool. Some of them are just anarchists who don't care much for the poplitics. And yes, granny on that picture just prooves that I have said.

Whilst I cannot say for them all, those bearing the symbol of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation have typically (in my personal experience) been quite hardlined and dedicated, and nobody nowadays takes anarchists too seriously. Those who uphold true Bolshevism don't necessarily dismiss anarchists, but rather refute and put them in their ideological place :cool:

Hah, they're fighting a losing battle. Russia will be nationalist without being communist in the future. As it should be.

Well, many of the Russian communists have allied heavily with the National Bolsheviks, and even those who don't ally with the Nazbols still hold nationalistic tendencies. The CPRF for instance could be considered nationalistic in many respects.

[Billy Score]

I don't understand how they can slander the memory of the GWP. It was under the Communists that they won their greatest successes, that they fought their greatest battle, yet they want to quash this for what end? It is an idiotic move that will please no one and offend many (as it has proven).

[Probably maybe]

I don't understand how they can slander the memory of the GWP. It was under the Communists that they won their greatest successes, that they fought their greatest battle, yet they want to quash this for what end? It is an idiotic move that will please no one and offend many (as it has proven).


Hmmm.... It were people who won that war in the first place, not the communism or Stalin. :mad:

[Billy Score]

Hmmm.... It were people who won that war in the first place, not the communism or Stalin. :mad:

With the guiding hand of Stalin and socialist principles. The people did not and would not have won this war had they not had the glorious 5 year plans and collectivization of agriculture. Had they not done what they had done, Russia would have been speaking German now.

[Probably maybe]

With the guiding hand of Stalin and socialist principles. The people did not and would not have won this war had they not had the glorious 5 year plans and collectivization of agriculture. Had they not done what they had done, Russia would have been speaking German now.


Do you really believe Germany had any chances in this war? It was a suicidal act for german people right from the begining.

[Berianidze]

Do you really believe Germany had any chances in this war? It was a suicidal act for german people right from the begining.
Germany would've stood a chance against an unorganized, ill-equipped Russian Imperialist Army absolutely, Mazdak is correct. Socialism and Stalin had a great deal of impact in readying and also uniting soldiers to fight against the Nazis, they fought not only for the defense of their mother land from aggressors, but also for the preservation of socialism--a much worthy cause to say the least!

[Billy Score]

Look at how easily the old Russian empire lost battles to the germans in WWI. Even the Czechs and poles were able to humiliate them. The only people the Russians had any sucess against were the equally incompetant Austro-Hungarians. Although i agree that invading Russia, even a weak, crumbling Russia, is an unbelievably stupid move just by the size of Russia alone. The danger of overextending one's army and line of supplies cannot be overestimated.

But with the japanese on one side, and germany on the other, a disorganized and weak Russia could have collapsed.

[Vindex]

Crazy there upset because there no longer living under a red police state. Some people just can not handle any freedom at all.

[Excorcism]

Germany would've stood a chance against an unorganized, ill-equipped Russian Imperialist Army absolutely, Mazdak is correct. Socialism and Stalin had a great deal of impact in readying and also uniting soldiers to fight against the Nazis, they fought not only for the defense of their mother land from aggressors, but also for the preservation of socialism--a much worthy cause to say the least!

You forgot to mention the fact that alot of the factories in the western part of russia were moved to Uralsk before and during the war. This helped alot in protecting the production. I just don't agree with Stalin sending out all of the former factory workers empty handed against the Germans in order to slowdown the germans a bit. Desperation does crazy things I guess.

[Probably maybe]

Crazy there upset because there no longer living under a red police state. Some people just can not handle any freedom at all.


Freedom like in USA? ;) It's wrong to think that during USSR there was no freedom at all.

[Billy Score]

Dr. Anti christ either make productive posts or do not make them. I normally wouldn't care but i've got assholes here who would jump in my ass if i don't delete every post or warn people the second someone says something remotely out of line. Do not make me bring out the big dictatorial totalitarian guns, brother.

[Probably maybe]

Dr. Anti christ either make productive posts or do not make them. I normally wouldn't care but i've got assholes here who would jump in my ass if i don't delete every post or warn people the second someone says something remotely out of line. Do not make me bring out the big dictatorial totalitarian guns, brother.

Sometimes good order is better than the chaos of democracy.

[Billy Score]

Sometimes good order is better than the chaos of democracy.

If by sometimes, you mean always.

[Probably maybe]

If by sometimes, you mean always.

No, not always. Little bit of anarchy wouldn't hurt either.

[Vindex]

The usa is a police state of the big three universalism, capitalism/social marxism and big daddy jewristianity. Free is the last thing I would call it.

Freedom like in USA? ;) It's wrong to think that during USSR there was no freedom at all.

[Vindex]

Well Iam all for socialism and I don't like captialism either, but I already live under one P.C police state. I do not want exchange it for another. I honestly wish I had a button that would sallow up all the assholes would want to impose a police state over me, they can't handle any freedom and have a need to live as slaves and make all other people too. Sadly most people are too fucking lazy to make Anarchy work.



Dr. Anti christ either make productive posts or do not make them. I normally wouldn't care but i've got assholes here who would jump in my ass if i don't delete every post or warn people the second someone says something remotely out of line. Do not make me bring out the big dictatorial totalitarian guns, brother.

[Probably maybe]

The usa is a police state of the big three universalism, capitalism/social marxism and big daddy jewristianity. Free is the last thing I would call it.

No, there are lot's of freedom in USA. At least so it seems from here.

[Excorcism]

No, there are lot's of freedom in USA. At least so it seems from here.

yes there is alot of it...all I have to do is look at some of the crazy people and realize that there is still freedom. If the government even tries to make something that fringes on our rights, we tend to go apeshit...but the "Patriot Act" got through for some reason. Security makes big demands I guess and Bills passed in Congress don't say anything about an expiration date.

[Probably maybe]

yes there is alot of it...all I have to do is look at some of the crazy people and realize that there is still freedom. If the government even tries to make something that fringes on our rights, we tend to go apeshit...but the "Patriot Act" got through for some reason. Security makes big demands I guess and Bills passed in Congress don't say anything about an expiration date.


You see, I was right. So stop whining that you don;t have any freedom. :)

[Excorcism]

You see, I was right. So stop whining that you don;t have any freedom. :)

I don't whine, everyone else around me does. The mentality is that if we keep whining about our freedoms, then the government will know not to touch them or else people won't be reelected.

[Probably maybe]

I don't whine, everyone else around me does. The mentality is that if we keep winding about our freedoms, then the government will know not to touch them or else people won't be reelected.

Oki-doki ..

[Excorcism]

Oki-doki ..

keep in mind though that it gets really tiring to whine about freedom all day when you have to go to work all day and all you care about when you get home is to just sit down. lol

Some people though, really just hate how the media tries to brainwash everyone into getitng the biggest and best of everything; cars, furniture, houses, computers. Also, they try to cram the idea of of beauty being a slim blonde girl in a bathing suit (personally, I find more beauty in a girl who isn't a model and is modest).

[Berianidze]

Bourgeois freedoms and rights are an interesting thing to say the least; nonetheless freedom and rights in any sense aren't material and thus don't have any real basis as something to fight or yearn for. America is quite liberal, and it offers probably much more freedom than I would ever permit my society.

"The capitalists have always use the term "freedom" to mean freedom for the rich to get richer and for the workers to starve to death. And capitalist usage, freedom of the press means freedom of the rich to bribe the press, freedom to use their wealth to shape and fabricate so-called public opinion. In this respect, too, the defenders of "pure democracy" prove to be defenders of an utterly foul and venal system that gives the rich control over the mass media. They prove to be deceivers of the people, who, with the aid of plausible, fine-sounding, but thoroughly false phrases, divert them from the concrete historical task of liberating the press from capitalist enslavement."
-V.I. Lenin, First Congress of the Communist International

[Probably maybe]

Bourgeois freedoms and rights are an interesting thing to say the least; nonetheless freedom and rights in any sense aren't material and thus don't have any real basis as something to fight or yearn for. America is quite liberal, and it offers probably much more freedom than I would ever permit my society.

"The capitalists have always use the term "freedom" to mean freedom for the rich to get richer and for the workers to starve to death. And capitalist usage, freedom of the press means freedom of the rich to bribe the press, freedom to use their wealth to shape and fabricate so-called public opinion. In this respect, too, the defenders of "pure democracy" prove to be defenders of an utterly foul and venal system that gives the rich control over the mass media. They prove to be deceivers of the people, who, with the aid of plausible, fine-sounding, but thoroughly false phrases, divert them from the concrete historical task of liberating the press from capitalist enslavement."
-V.I. Lenin, First Congress of the Communist International


It's first time I see someone quoting Iliych on the internet forum in english - he really must be moving there in Mavzolei at this moment.

[Probably maybe]

(personally, I find more beauty in a girl who isn't a model and is modest).

beautiful people are never modest - it is reality. ;)

[Excorcism]

beautiful people are never modest - it is reality. ;)

Well I mainly mean personality beauty, but with a side of attractiveness.

[Probably maybe]

Well I mainly mean personality beauty, but with a side of attractiveness.

In that case I agree. Modest people are beautiful inside beacuse of their values in life.

[Billy Score]

It is precisely because of this "freedom" notion, this "democracy" inefficiency that i despise this nation.

I am, in that sense, a literal freedom hater.

[Vindex]

Did not Lenin call communism "centralized democracy?" As for america what empire is not corrupt?


It is precisely because of this "freedom" notion, this "democracy" inefficiency that i despise this nation.

I am, in that sense, a literal freedom hater.

[Vindex]

That sums it all up.

."The capitalists have always use the term "freedom" to mean freedom for the rich to get richer and for the workers to starve to death. And capitalist usage, freedom of the press means freedom of the rich to bribe the press, freedom to use their wealth to shape and fabricate so-called public opinion. In this respect, too, the defenders of "pure democracy" prove to be defenders of an utterly foul and venal system that gives the rich control over the mass media. They prove to be deceivers of the people, who, with the aid of plausible, fine-sounding, but thoroughly false phrases, divert them from the concrete historical task of liberating the press from capitalist enslavement."
-V.I. Lenin, First Congress of the Communist International

[Vindex]

Yes but freedoms to what, you are free to watch 260 channels and spend, spend, spend. And other pointless things. But go against the grain where it counts and freedom anit there.

No, there are lot's of freedom in USA. At least so it seems from here.

[Excorcism]

It is precisely because of this "freedom" notion, this "democracy" inefficiency that i despise this nation.

I am, in that sense, a literal freedom hater.

you should be happy that you're allowed to despise the nation. Under communism, people tend to be put under the firing range. Maybe not every form of government tries to be totalitarian and tell you what to do.....oh wait, they all do.

[Excorcism]

Yes but freedoms to what, you are free to watch 260 channels and spend, spend, spend. And other pointless things. But go against the grain where it counts and freedom anit there.

No matter what society you're in, you're caged...but some systems give you a bigger cage than others.

[Jimbo Gomez]

It is precisely because of this "freedom" notion, this "democracy" inefficiency that i despise this nation.

I am, in that sense, a literal freedom hater.

"Freedom" as it is perceived today means"license to be as degenerate and stupid as you damn well please". It needs to be cut out of the body of society like the festering tumor it is.

[Berianidze]

"Freedom" as it is perceived today means"license to be as degenerate and stupid as you damn well please". It needs to be cut out of the body of society like the festering tumor it is.

Most definitely agreed; and when people and organizations like the ACLU fight so desperately to protect these 'freedoms' it is utterly insane. It seems as if it is only a matter of time where something like pedophilia will be protected as an alternative lifestyle. There has to be a line, and furthermore, the reaction from the whiny liberals when threatened with a sense of some social order and decency is to cry out, "fascist." I recently was banned from the RebelForums because I had "fascist tendencies." I couldn't be farther from a fascist, but when it comes down to it--i'd say I'm more fascist than liberal anyday.

[Probably maybe]

No matter what society you're in, you're caged...but some systems give you a bigger cage than others.

I agree. Human in every society is doomed to depend on the rules and standarts. There is no absolute freedom. It's quite subjective term.