2006-07-01

1.7.2006 St. Petersburg -- Stralsund -- Göteborg

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Basic survival guide for Moscow

Money

Currently dollar is about 27.1 rubles, and euro is about 34.0 rubles, ruble is gaining in regards to both. Best places to exchange cash are small currency exchange points in center of the city, as competition is high there - banks and places more distant from center have worse exchange course. In general currency exchange points are honest, however better to count the cash before getting out from there. Usually they change only euros and dollars, but some change any currency whatsoever.

Usually there is no a separate commission fee, but ask about it - in case there is, better to check for another place nearby at least if you are attempting to change a small amount. Changing money from hand is not necessarily a good idea. Do not change money in airport, or change about the minimum amount to make you to center, that is 15-30 rubles for a bus ticket.

Cash automats are widespread, with visa, visa electron, MasterCard etc. you may draw cash in most of the metro stations, many shops, in about every bank etc. Thus bringing a card could be a better idea than bringing all the cash you need. Unfortunately we have no experience on traveler's checks, but probably it will not be a problem to cash them in any bank - if you need info about them, ask us and we'll find out.

Transport

There are 6 means of collective transport in Moscow - buses, trolley-buses, trams, "marshrutnaya taksi" (= private mini-buses), metro and local trains. Three first ones use same kind of tickets, in "marshrutnye" you have to pay each trip separately in cash, metro and local trains have a separate ticket system.

A single ticket for both over-ground transport and metro costs currently 15 rubles (around 45 eurocents), prices of marshrutnye vary according route, but usually they are 15 rubles as well. Practically all over-ground transport has had turnstiles installed during last few years, but there are still occasional controls inside as many people share tickets or dug under turnstile (as a rule, drivers do not care if you do). A bit cheaper tickets for over-ground transport may be bought from special kiosks; these are around many metro stations. Only tickets that do not limit amount of travel are monthly ones, so you better buy a card of 1, 2,5,10 or 20 trips. A single-trip ticket may always be bought from a driver as well with a price of 15 rubles (could be a bit more expensive is travel goes beyond Moscow city limits).

"Marshurtnye taksi" (private mini-buses) are faster than buses, because they skip stations if they get full. You should ask driver well enough before your station to stop. They often agree to stop also between the bus, tram and trolley-bus stops, except when that would result a traffic violation. Most "marshurtnye" carry numbers of the corresponding bus/tram/trolley-bus routes, others are only operated by "marshrutnye".

Metro tickets are sold in every metro station - only tickets that do not limit amount of travel are monthly ones, so you better buy a card of 1,2,5,10 or 20 trips. If you want to jump over the turnstile, watch out first for cops lurking by! There is no any ticket control inside metro. Metro is the main transport system in Moscow; you should almost always prefer it to an above ground alternative. First thing you should get in Moscow is a map of metro - without it you will not get much to anywhere. It is also included in any city map - normal price for a city map is 50-100 rubles. It is also rather safe anytime of the day - but if you are piss drunk and sleeping on the floor alone, your trip may cost you some property. Unfortunately metro closes 1 AM, however this is only the time when the doors are closed - as last trains are leaving from the last station 1 AM, it is likely that you will get to your destination if you get into metro just before 1 AM at least if you do not have to do many changes. Opening times vary slightly among stations, but 5:45 AM is rather usual.

Local trains are not much of help in traveling inside the city, but you will probably use them if you have some business (such as a night place) in suburbs. Ticket prices vary according to distance, tickets are sold in stations. Most of the stations have now turnstiles installed, and there are also turnstiles at exit gates so do not throw your ticket away before exit if you have one - otherwise you may have to pay extra to get out from the platform! There are also controls inside trains.

There are two kinds of taxi in Moscow - those with signs and those without. Latter ones may be twice cheaper than the former ones. Both variants are rather safe, however if possible it would perhaps make sense to ask local friends to negotiate price for you before the trip. Drivers prefer negotiating the trip to using the counter, and you may be fine with that as long as you know what a normal price is. Thousands of car owners look for extra income by driving nighttime, thus anytime of the day you may get a ride by waving hand at any bigger street in five minutes to any part of the city. In nighttime, expect to pay a lot, at least 300 rubles from a trip to other part of the city. In daytime, 50 rubles is a normal price for a trip of few kilometers and 200 rubles to opposite side of the city for a trip in "unofficial" taxi. In St. Petersburg, taxis (as well as collective transport) are slightly cheaper than in Moscow.

NEVER TAKE A TAXI FROM THE AIRPORT! They may cheat lots of money from you. Use collective transport instead - "marshrutnye" would be better, as for example a trip from international airport Sheremetevo 2 in a bus to city takes enduring 2 hours whereas "marsrutnaya" is more than twice faster.

Security

Heavy police presence in Moscow is intimidating - you see plenty of them in any metro station, extracting bribes from illegal immigrants and small traders. However you have no reason to be scared of them if you have been in the city less than 3 days or you have made a registration. ALWAYS CARRY YOUR DOCUMENTS AND REGISTRATION (or equal document given to you in a hotel) WITH YOU! If you are busted for being in the city more than 3 days without a registration, call our number. Otherwise, promptly show police your passport, visa and registration when asked, and most likely they will let you go. Even if you have a registration, police has right to take you to police station for "purposes of identification", but if you are self-confident, they will probably make a conclusion that there is no easy cash that could be extracted from you and they will let you go. Even if you do not have a registration, police has no right to arrest you for more than 3 hours for lack of it, so be tough. But do not be aggressive even if cops are fucking you up, as they are unpredictable.

Taking into account their size and vast income disparities, both Moscow and St. Petersburg are relatively safe cities. There is less crime specialized on tourists (such as pickpockets) than in those major Western European cities that are also tourist attractions. But this does not mean it is a good idea to count your cash in the street, to carry mobile phones in easily accessible pockets etc.

Unlike Russian periphery, Moscow and St. Petersburg are also relatively safe for people with "alternative" outlooks. Number of racist assaults and murders is appalling, but both cities are huge and you may spend weeks in them without seeing a single Nazi. In another hand, these days only few Nazis are wearing any symbols or traditional skinhead gear, so it is often difficult to recognize one.

So keep watching around, and if you have "alternative" outlooks, move around only in bigger groups if coming to or from any political events (demonstrations, concerts, lectures etc). In other cases we would consider it rather safe to move around freely.

Best self-defense is always your legs, so if you have any suspicion in regards to some group of people around, pace up your walk, and leg it if necessary. Russia has a rather strict regulation in regards to firearms, thus it is unlikely that these are an option for self-defense for you. However a number of pepper-gas devices are legal and easy to obtain, these cost from 120 rubles (4 euros) upwards - we will help you if you opt for these. Laws regulating cold steel have been liberated lately, but sometimes cops do not know this, so if you want to carry them around consult us first for some specifics.

Libertarian forum in Moscow is paying a lot of attention to security of its participants, and these issues will be discussed together in plenary of the forum 8th of July. Please take security concerns seriously, and do not leak any information about forum or its participators to outsiders unless information is already published in spb8.net website.

[Moscow group of Network Against G8]

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Libertarian forum in Moscow, 8th-12th of July

A preliminary program of libertarian forum is ready, currently we expect some 70 activists from various regions of Russia to take part, 30-50 from Moscow and few dozen foreigners. Both forum premises and accommodation will be in Moscow region close to Moscow. Take sleeping bags and mattresses with you. We may also book hotels, cheapest places are 600 rubles (24$) a night. Food not Bombs has promised to feed the conference; we will also prepare a list of affordable cafes. There will not be fixed price for participation, we suggest that people will contribute to costs of the event according to their capacities. Unless you have an agreement with organizers to pick you up from somewhere, you should come to office of Movement for Human Rights (Dvizhenie za Prava Cheloveka), located to Maliy Kislovskiy pereulok, dom (house) 7, stroenie (building) 1, metro station Arbatskaya. A map to find the location will be available later on. From here, you will be directed to premises of the forum and accommodation. We will wait you here 7th and 8th of July from noon to 8 PM. In case you are coming earlier, contact organizers by e-mail or by phone. 12th of July we have planned a press-conference of participators of the conference - main theme will be critic against energy policies of G8 summit and renaissance of atomic energy. We are discussing an alternative to travel collectively to St. Petersburg with a rented bus. Contacts: moscow_protiv_g8@riseup.net, +7-906-796-88-29.

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Aufruf IL 13.07.06 Stralsund

13.7.2006:
Merkel und Bush die Show vermiesen!

Am 13. Juli kommt Georg W. Bush für eine kurze Stippvisite nach Deutschland - genauer nach Stralsund in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Vom 15. Juli bis zum 17. Juli findet dann in St. Petersburg der G8-Gipfel 2006 statt, an dem der US-Präsident gemeinsam mit Angela Merkel teilnehmen wird.

Die Friedensbewegung ruft für Stralsund zu einer Großdemonstration gegen die Kriegspolitik der USA und gegen die Beteiligung der Bundeswehr an weltweiten Militäreinsätzen auf. Im Rahmen der Proteste gegen den G8-Gipfel in Russland finden als "Global Action Day" dezentral überall auf der Welt Aktionen und Demonstrationen statt, bei denen gegen die Politik der G8 und den globalisierten Kapitalismus protestiert werden wird. Das sind zwei gute Gründe, am 13.7. nach Stralsund zu fahren, um dort Merkel und Bush die Show zu vermiesen.

In Putins Reich findet das diesjährige Treffen der selbst ernannten "Führer der Welt" statt. Dabei soll es auf Wunsch des Gastgebers vor allem um Gesundheitspolitik, Bildung und Energiesicherheit gehen. Daneben will Putin die Gelegenheit nutzen, mit viel nationalem Pomp sein autoritäres Regime zu zelebrieren. Entsprechend harsch dürfte der Umgang mit den GipfelgegnerInnen ausfallen, die allen Drohungen zum Trotz Proteste gegen das Stelldichein der Staats- und Regierungschefs der sieben großen Industrienationen in Petersburg angekündigt haben. Umso wichtiger, dass wir von Stralsund aus ein deutliches Zeichen der Solidarität nach St. Petersburg senden - und auch im Nachhinein das Vorgehen der russischen "Sicherheitskräfte" nicht unkommentiert lassen.

In Stralsund und Umgebung ist der größten Polizeieinsatz in der Geschichte Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns zu erwarten. Nach Presseberichten sollen bis zu 15.000 PolizistInnen eingesetzt werden, Hunderte Kilometer Straße sollen gesperrt werden, ebenso wie weite Teile der Stralsunder Innenstadt. Unsere Demonstration soll an den Stadtrand gedrängt werden. All dies ist auch als Generalprobe auf den G8-Gipfel 2007 in Heiligendamm zu verstehen. Und auch deswegen ist es wichtig, am 13.7. in Stralsund linke Präsenz zu zeigen.

Mit seinem Zwischenstopp in Stralsund folgt der US-Präsident einer Einladung der deutschen Regierungschefin. Merkel will dem Mann aus Washington einfach mal ihren Wahlkreis zeigen. Wer's glaubt, wird selig. Anstatt um eine beschauliche Tour durch Vorpommern geht es vielmehr um das Austarieren handfester politischer Interessen - zum Beispiel in der Energiepolitik. Erst im Mai hat die Bundesregierung mit der so genannten Zentralasienkonferenz die Einflussnahme auf das Ressourcengebiet rings um das Kaspische Meer intensiviert. Gleichzeitig werden die Bemühungen um eine gemeinsame Energie-Außenpolitik der EU forciert, die unter deutschem EU-Vorsitz im ersten Halbjahr 2007 zu konkreten Ergebnissen führen sollen. Ziel der auf Jahrzehnte angelegten Planungen ist es, in der Konkurrenz um die globalen Energievorräte geschlossen gegen die Konkurrenten USA, China und Indien auftreten zu können.

Die Gipfel der selbst ernannten Führer der Welt sind ein Brennpunkt neoliberaler und imperialer Politik, ein kleines Tête à Tête im Vorfeld kann da nicht schaden, um die große Linie abzustimmen. Denn auch die unterschiedliche Bewertung des Irak-Kriegs, der Menschenrechtsverbrechen im Zug des "Kriegs gegen den Terror" (ob in Abu Ghraib, Kabul oder Groszny) und die verteilten Rollen im so genannten Atomkonflikt mit dem Iran können nicht darüber hinweg täuschen: Egal ob in Washington, Berlin, Paris oder Tokio - ihre Politik ist angelegt auf die Absicherung und Aufrechterhaltung der kapitalistischen Globalisierung mit ihren tödlichen Folgen.

Das Treffen von Bush und Merkel in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ist eine gute Gelegenheit, diese Zusammenhänge deutlich zu machen. Die Demonstration in Stralsund ist damit auch ein wichtiger Schritt in der Mobilisierung gegen den G8 Gipfel 2007, der vom 8. - 10. Juni 2007 in Heiligendamm, also ebenfalls in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern stattfinden soll.

Merkel hatte erklärt, Bush solle bei seinem Besuch "auch mal ein Stück kennen lernen von dem, was in den neuen Ländern geschaffen wurde." Das ist in der Tat zu befürchten. Schon kursieren Aufrufe aus der Nazi-Szene, die ein eigenes Auftreten in Stralsund ankündigen. Diesem Ansinnen gilt es offensiv und entschieden entgegenzutreten. Es muss deutlich werden, dass der Widerstand gegen Neoliberalismus und kapitalistische Globalisierung nichts mit nationalistischer Beschränkung und rassistischer Ausgrenzung zu tun hat, sondern im Gegenteil internationale Solidarität und Globalisierung von unten meint.

Es geht um mehr als einen bloßen Protest gegen den US-Präsidenten. Wir wollen uns solidarisch und offensiv auf die Gipfelproteste in St. Petersburg beziehen, und dadurch in Stralsund die Kraft einer globalen Bewegung von unten sichtbar machen, die gegen die Macht und angebliche Alternativlosigkeit des globalisierten Kapitalismus auftritt.

Auf nach Stralsund! Interventionistische Linke, Juni 2006

Großdemonstration:
Do, 13. Juli 2006, 13 Uhr, Stralsund, Innenstadt

Aktuelle Infos zur Demo und zur Anreise: www.g8-2007.de //www.bush-in-stralsund.de

Anreiseinfos:
Berlin: Hauptbahnhof (tief) ab 09:41, an Stralsund 12:51. Treffen wg. Koordination der Brandenburg- bzw.Mecklenburg-Tickets 9.00, Europaplatz vorm Hbf (Nordseite). Infos: fels-g8-mob@nadir.org
Hamburg: Busse 8:00 Uhr ab Moorweide (neben der Tankstelle). Fahrkarten für 18,./10,./5,- Euro bei: GNN-Verlag, Neuer Kamp 25, Tel. 43 18 88 20 und Linkspartei.PDS, Kreuzweg 7, Tel. 3 89 21 64 Infos: www.hamburger-forum.org
Lübeck: Bus, 9.00 Uhr ab alternative, Willy-Brandt-Allee 9, Weitere Infos (auch zur Anreise aus anderen Orten Norddeutschlands): www.avanti-projekt.de

Berlin, 10.7.2006: (K)ein vergessener Gipfel? Info-Veranstaltung rund um die Proteste in St. Petersburg. Kato (Schlesisches Tor), 19.30, von der Gruppe Fels (fels-g8-mob@nadir.org)

Frankfurt, 14.7.2006: Kundgebung zum Global Action Day
16 Uhr Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), Bockenheimer Landstr./Zeppelinallee (Nähe Bockenheimer Warte). G(ib)8 Rhein-Main: Glocal group Hanau, Libertad! Frankfurt

Ostseeküste, 4.-13.8.2006: Camp Inski
Camp 2006 "für globale Rechte und ein ganz anderes Ganzes", um gemeinsam die Voraussetzung für kraftvolle Tage des Widerstands in Heiligendamm zu schaffen! Infos: www.camp06.dissentnetzwerk.org

[V.i.S.d.P.: S. Schneider, Schweffelstr. 6, 24118 Kiel]

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Gothenburg court in Finland

More than five years after protests against EU summit in Gothenburg in June of 2001, district court of Helsinki has been felony charges of "violent riot" against two Finnish activists, Reko Ravela and Tapio Laakso (names have been published in mainstream media in Finland) earlier this week. Sentence is due to 6th of July.

Charges are related to failed attempt of white overalls to charge out from surrounded Hvitvedtska school. Accused have not attempted to deny their participation, but defence it as a legitimate means to defence against illegal imprisonment. Both accused were given charges years ago, but they were frozen in Finnish courts as Swedish courts were looking for legality of siege of the school. However both Gothenburg district court and court of appeal in Sweden refuted claims of Swedish ombudsman that siege was illegal, thus giving free light to process in Finland.

As case of prosecution is not very strong what comes to level of "violent rioting" of white overalls, defendant are yet quite optimistic. At least statutes of limitations of "violent rioting" just passed, so no charges may be pressed against other people anymore.

[alter-ee]