Members of an anarchist-feminist group and the libertarian-communist movement Autonomous Action were arrested on 8 March in Moscow following an attack on them by riot police. The Rosbalt news agency, citing Autonomous Action, reports that after making the arrests, police officers decided to fabricate a criminal case against one of the anarchists. 

It all started when a young woman unfurled a black flag with the slogan “Freedom or death” written on it. One of the rally organisers approached her there and then and said that although she herself didn’t have anything against her flag, the police didn’t like it. The young woman rolled up her flag, went up to one of the police officers and asked him why he didn’t approve of it. 

According to one demonstrator at the rally, who later gave evidence to the investigator in the young woman’s defence, the behaviour of the policeman, who was at first conversing calmly, unexpectedly changed: he suddenly gave a command for her to be arrested and riot police seized her roughly, dragged her across the asphalt and then threw her to the ground. They then took her to the police van. 

Autonomous Action reports that now the young woman is threatened with legal action as one of the riot police has made a complaint against her. According to the investigator, two of the officer’s colleagues gave evidence that the activist had hit the policeman in the groin as she was being dragged to the police van. 

The activist herself says that she simply could not have physically kicked anyone at the time because her arms and legs were being held tightly. By the door of the police van she was thrown to the ground again and she got into it by herself. 

The investigator reported that the materials for the preliminary examination were now being gathered and, as a result, a decision would be made on whether legal proceedings will be initiated under Article 318 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The young woman was finally allowed home at around midnight. Two of her comrades who were also arrested at the rally were let off after having been charged with administrative offences. 

The anarchist has made a statement to law enforcement agencies about the unlawful use of violence against her by the police officers. As a result of this extremely brutal arrest, her arm was injured. Other demonstrators at the rally are prepared to give evidence in the young woman’s defence. 

A video of the arrest at the rally was published on the website Grani.ru