LGBT activists went to the action against dismissals for public activities.
A meeting against dismissals for taking part in social activities was held at the square near Ulitsa 1905 Goda subway station on October, 20. The meeting was organized by the labor union of the workers of science and higher education 'Universitetskaya Solidarnost' ('University Solidarity) and Konfederatsiya Truda Rossii (Russian Labor Confederation). About 150 people from labor unions and public and political organizations along with the LGBT union 'Raduzhnaya Assotsiatsiya' ('Rainbow Association').
The unlawful dismissal of Alexei Parshukov, the chairman of the Russian National Medical Research University labor organization, made the labor unions carry out a protest meeting. Also apart from Parshukov other activists were dismissed such as Lyubov Chernyago, PhD in Geography and the MGOU lecturer, and Vladimir Koshel, PhD in Philosophy and the IUEP lecturer, and others.
The part played by the FSB (Federal Security Service) and prosecutor's office make the oppression of the S(A)FU (Northern [Arctic] Federal University) deserve special attention. In Arkhangelsk's S(A)FU Oleg Klyuenkov, PhD in Philosophy, was dismissed on the grounds of the prosecutor's office several unlawful notions. Senior researcher Olga Pospelova was reprimanded [for her social activities], and lecturer Tatiana Vinichenko is currently in danger of being dismissed. The lecturers are being oppressed for their social activities outside the University, that is their membership in the LGBT organization 'Rakurs' ('Foreshortening'). This plainly illegal intervention of the authorities into labor relations on the side of the employer has already caused protest actions of labor union members and LGBT activists.
"The sutuation with the S(A)FU lecturers indicates that the oppression for taking part in social activities is important for each of us, be they a labor union member, a LGBT activist or any social activist. The fight against oppression unites everyone," comments Dmitry Svetliy, coordinator of 'Raduzhnaya Assotsiatsiya' ('Rainbow Association'), "that's why we didn't stand aside when the labor unions urged to take part in the meeting. We understand the necessity of cooperation and we're also convinced of our fruitful partnership in the future."