Russian Police Fire on Workers at Vyborg

[Marko Ajdaric]

Please, do post widely! I must be wrong, but the Vyborg workers ae defending
the most emblematic struggle in this end of century
Spanish text available, just ask us or pick it at our web site
(http://pagina.de/marko)

(LATER WE HAVE GOT THE INFORMATION FROM Catalunyan Contracorriente as well
as from a relaible web list moderator that the workers have won this battle
and that they are still on the head of the factory, ANYWAY...

Try to make this story published, wherever

**********Love our dreams and don't  leave them alone ********


The following report details a dangerous double-hostage situation in
progress right now (Thursday 14th Oct), where eight workers (including an
injured person) are being held captive by a special armed police unit, which
is itself barricaded in the building surrounded by over 500 workers armed
with batons, who are supported by the local towns people. The police have
already fired on and injured at least eleven workers so far. At 2 am this
morning, two coach loads of Spetsnaz "Taiphoon" troops entered the Vyborg
Paper Mill, accompanied by several bailiffs, and led by the deputy chief
baillif of Leningrad region. Militant Workers drove them from the
book-keeping offices which they so-wantedcontrol of, and into the canteen -
today's story, below, takes over from here.

      Some months ago ISWoR appealed for support for the workers of Vyborg
Mill, Sovietskii (near the Scandinavian border), who had courageously beaten
off attacks by both police and armed thugs working for their boss, and
continued to defend the occupation of their workplace.

      The international labour movement must not allow this crime to go
ahead!! If we do, it will become a precedent, and a means by which all
Russian workers may be beaten down the moment they show the slightest
protest, no matter how atrocious the conditions they are forced to endure.

      Please send your protest messages immediately to the Governor's
address below, with a copy to ISWoR, and stand by for more news and details
of further actions you can take in solidarity with Vyborg workers. Below the
following report is some background information to the struggle from the
July 1999 ISWoR bulletin.

Lisa Taylor, for ISWoR - London



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Another Terrorist Attack

Against Vyborg Workers

 Report from Moscow -  14 Oct 1999

     On the 14th of October at 2 a.m. a group of gunmen assaulted the
administration building of Vyborg pulp and paper mill. The mill is well
known as the first peoples enterprise in Russia. Three years ago it was sold
to a British firm "Nimonor" [note from ISWoR - the mill today officially
belongs to the British-based Alcem company - however it is widely believed
to be the same company as before acting under a different name to circumvent
various regulations], but the workers, not being paid their wages for
months, took over the mill and have been running it since then.

     At first tear-gas and truncheons were used. But the mill workers who
were on the night shift resisted and the attackers opened gunfire against
unarmed workers. Eleven workers were wounded. Eight people, including some
women and a wounded worker, were taken as hostages and are still held on the
second floor by the group of attackers who turned out to be members of a
special police force command. No medical assistance and no journalists are
allowed to enter the room where hostages are kept.

     Later this morning the region administration spokesman said that the
policemen who tried to take over the builidng, who opened gunfire against
workers and took hostages, were carring out the orders of the local court
who were acting in the interests of the new owners of the mill. Their task
is "to cleanse the territory of the mill of those who illegally took over
the mill and prevented the true owners from running it" that is to say, to
throw out the workers. But the special police command failed to seize the
control over the mill and barricaded themselves on the second floor of the
administration building. The spokesman has also said that Vyborg strike
committee members will be charged with contempt of court.

     Vyborg workers are not going to give up and will keep fighting for
their mill. Any messages of protest sent to the Leningrad region
administration will be of a great help to them. Please stand by for more
information - and for any actions we ask comrades internationally to take.

     The address is:

     Governer of Leningrad region

     Russia 193311

     St-Petersburg

     Suvorovsky pr. 67

     fax (+7 812) 271 56 27 or

     (+7 812) 274 85 39


You may e-mail your protest copy directly to Russian campaigners at
mgo at aha.ru

Also, please send a copy of your protest letter to us at e-mail
ISWoR at aol.com