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Eco-campaign against toxic missile burning

  • Caroline Lauer
    A protest camp against the incinerating of ballistic missiles took place from the beginning of July to the end of August in the central Russian city of Perm.
    The action aimed to stop the authorities' plan to burn the missiles in the open air, as the fuel contained into the rockets would release large amounts of the highly toxic dioxin which, even in small concentrations, can cause cancer and destroy the immune system.
        Back in 2001, the Kirov Factory in Zamask was chosen for the destruction of old missile engines in compliance with international disarmament treaties. The regional administration of Perm received US$72m to use the special burning technology of USbased arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin. In addition, Washington Group International Ltd is to facilitate the organisation of the burning process.
        Camp organisers said: "Of course, we are not opposed to any kind of disarmament itself! But the poisoning of a city of a million people with such a plant must call for our resistance!!!"
        The camp was organised by Anarcho-Ecological Resistance of Perm, Union for Chemical Safety, Autonomous Action, Yekaterinburg Movement Against Violence and Rainbow Keepers. During the two-month period, protesters organised info-boards, demonstrations, graffiti, street theatre and other actions aimed at rallying the public against the burning project.
    For more information (mostly Russian language - some English), see     http://www.avtonom.org/ and http://russia.indymedia.org/
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