Hirelings Resembling Ku Kluxers Attacked Defenders of Khimkinsky Wood: "White Hundred" Attacked "Green"

Unknown people in masks in quantity nearby 100 came to the territory of the camp of defenders of Khimkinsky wood and attacked ecologists, employee of public affairs department in "Protection of Khimkinsky Wood" Vera Prokhorova informed "Gazeta.Ru". People in masks blocked approach of ecologists to technique which cuts trees. Thus, cutting down of Khimkinsky wood has actually begun, "Echo Moscow" transfers.

As the leader of "Movements in Protection of Khimkinsky Wood" Eugenie Chirikova declared to the radio station, people carrying out cutting down have no permission. Ecologists phoned militia, however, people from Department of Internal Affairs in Khimki at first refused to help them and advised to leave place of events immediately.

However, approximately an hour later militia arrived and checked up documents of the chippers. It appeared that they didn't have necessary under felling permits.

Unknown people who came to the wood in masks declared to ecologists that they are ready "to kill and clean", is said on a site of the movement in protection of Khimkinsly wood. After that they switched on equipment and started cutting down trees without paying attention either to militia, or to the defenders. Some of the active workers rushed on cars to prevent cutting down. Their success lasted just little time, then they were traumatized. One of the active workers Rita Popova is very strongly beaten.

Two active workers suffered in collision with employees of the private security enterprise. As the correspondent of radio "Freedom" informs, one active worker wounded her hand, other one - a neck when employees of PSC tried to take them aside from the equipment.

About twenty employees of PSC and approximately twenty active workers of the movement "In Protection of Khimkinsky Wood" are at the place of events.

Nevertheless, according to the source of "Gazeta.Ru", employees of law and order department are going to leave a scene. "White Hundred" began mass fight, situation is getting aggravated up to the hilt. Active workers are afraid that assaulters can go on serious crimes, including, murder. In the meantime the camp of defenders of wood is being liquidated.

Witnesses: Girls Were Dragged for Hair to the Car

As "Kasparov.ru" referring to the leader of the movement "In protection..." Eugenie Chirikov informs, OMON fighters arrived detained several ecologists who were on duty on the place of illegal cutting down of Khimkinsky wood and journalists.

Six defenders and two representatives of press detained by OMON were delivered to the department of internal affairs number 2 in Khimki. Till now nobody explained to them the reason they were detained and being held in militia. One of the detained active workers persons told about it to news agency RIA Novosti by phone.

They said in the department of city district of Khimki that nine active workers were taken to them for "disobedience" and interfering with carrying out of lawful civil work. Investigation is being carried out, the newspaper "Vzglyad" writes.

According to portal Nakanune.Ru, there are nine persons in militia at the time, two of them are journalists and one juvenile. One of the leaders of initiative group - Andrey Morgulev - told as the detention passed. He declared that law enfocement officials applied force against ecologists. "One of our girls was seized by hair and dragged to the car", - Mogrulev told.

The Day Before Ecologists Were Attacked by People in Panties  

Let's remind, one of these days defenders of Khimkisnky wood erected barricades at the approach to the camp which they placed near to the site of a new highway Moscow - St.-Petersburg. Active workers of the movement counted on investigation of the State Office of Public Prosecutor - earlier they sent their corresponding petition. According to defenders, cutting down and building project, under the law, should be co-ordinated with the regional government, however, there's coordination procedure and consequently, cutting down is illegal.

On Thursday evening defenders of Khimki were attacked by about 10 unknown people. These people, according to K2K News, were in panties and with tattoos. At that they attacked not only ecologists but also correspondents of BBC News and radio "Freedom" who happened to be present at the place.

That very day some active workers were detained neat to the White House at attempt to transfer to the government of Russia petition against cutting down. Nearby 50 people led by Eugenie Chirikova who was recently attacked came in total to the government house.

Besides the petition gathered brought logs of trees illegally cut in Khimkinsky wood with them. Inscription: "Fire wood of Khimkinsky wood" was on all the logs. When defenders of wood began putting "fire wood" at the control post of the White House, militia started their detention. In total six persons were detained

The Only Thing Ecodefenders Need Is Sensation, the head of the state institution "Roads of Russia" Thinks

"There's an impression that they (defenders of Khimkinsky wood) need only sensation and not constructive decision of the question. If you have calculations, substantiations - create working group, solve problems within the limits of legal field. Obviously they have different targets", - the head of Federal official body "Roads of Russia" Andrey Zhuravlyov commented situation with protests against deforestation.

As he said, situation with appearance of "people in masks" is in some way favourable to "defenders" as "the next scandal" is obviously necessary to them. He underlined that forest in Moscow Region is often cut down for construction of the roads, however, for some reason area around Sheremetyevo become "not the only pebble on the beach" for ecodefenders, "Interfax" transfers.

Zhuravlyov didn't comment mass fights and detention of active workers but noticed that the contractor had the right to attract special people to protect equipment as there were already cases of arson and damage of its property by unknown persons.

At the same time the head of "Roads of Russia" called both sides of the conflict to act within the limits of law. "There's one condition from our side - to act strictly within the limits of legal field, don't create conflict situations", - Zhuravlyov said.

Struggle for Khimkinsky Wood (Chronicle of Events)

Khimkinsky wood is located in five kilometres from Moscow between city of Khimki, village Starbeevo, river of Klyazma and International highway (from Leningrad highway to airport "Sheremetyevo"). Wood occupies a site with area almost in 1 thousand hectares and is a part of a forest shelter belt of the capital.

Cutting down of Khimkinsky wood on the right side from International highway started on July, 15th. About 7 hectares were cut down without any documents. Defenders managed to suspend illegal works. Active workers of the movement count on check of the State Office of Public Prosecutor - earlier they sent their corresponding petition. According to defenders, cutting down and building project, under the law, should be co-ordinated with the regional government, however, there's coordination procedure and consequently, cutting down is illegal.

Let's remind, on March, 27th, 2010 the cassation board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized government verdict about transfer of a part of Khimkinsky wood under highway. The governmental document from November, 5th, 2009 says that "a piece of wood fund of 144,8821 hectares are translated to the category of the earths of industry, power, transport, communication, broadcasting, TV, computer science, the earths for maintenance of space activity, the earths of defence, safety and of other special purpose such as construction of highway".

Verdict to the Supreme Court were sent by three defenders - Eugenie Chirikova, Serafima Naumocheva and Andrey Margulev. In their opinion, there are alternative variants of placing of the road, therefore it is absolutely unessential to give a part of the wood under it. Such organizations as Greenpeace and the World Fund of Wild Nature also acted against cutting down.

Ecologists declare that the decision about building was accepted with the roughest infringements of law. After a set of references in local and federal authorities ecologists declared intention to send appeal against the decision of authorities on transfer of 150 hectares of Khimkinsky forest park from earths of wood fund into the earths of transport for building of the first site of paid highway in the Strasbourg court.

Meanwhile it's considered in Public chamber of the Russian Federation that cutting down of Khimkinsky wood for building of a high-speed highway Moscow - St.-Petersburg showed ignorance by authorities of opinion of public and became a call to civil society in Russia.

"More than 20 thousand Russians, tens non-governmental and state organizations supported preservation of Khimkinsky wood. This cutting down - call not only to inhabitants of Khimki and ecologists but also to all civil society of Russia", - the director of Institute of Steady Development of the Russian Federation Vladimir Zaharov said. As he said, cutting down showed that "opinion of the public and professional ecologists is once again ignored".

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