RAINBOW KEEPERS AGAINST SIMENS

25th of March the action of the enviromental movement "Rainbow Keepers" and reprsentatives of the Socio-Ecological Union (SEU) took place near one of the "Siemens" departments in Moscow.

The "Siemens" company makes an attempt on exporting their problem to our country, that is to assist Russia in "developing" not at all new, but very dangerous nuclear technologies.

With no orders on erecting nuclear power stations both in Western Europe and North America, "Siemens" has virtually been losing its develpment perspectives in this field. The unfinished reactors in Russia necessitating Western investments are the only "Siemens" chance to obtain new contracts in the nuclear business.

This very moment "Siemens" is working on to prepare the ground for getting a credit from the European Commission on the completion of new reactors in Rostov and Kalinin nucelar power plants. To construct reactors of the type of VVER -1000 over there means meeting high expenses on manufacturing and installating of security system equipment. After "Siemens" estimated nuclear power stations bringing to Western standards would cost many times as much as the very station itself they decided not to finish building of the similar type reactors in the Greifwald nuclear power plant (East Germany).

WHAT'S GOING ON IN RUSSIA

The Rostov nuclear power station completion encounters resistance of the overwhelming majority both of local people and enviromental organizations which went out in Summer 1996 to protest against the completion of the first reactor. 80% of inhabitants had a bad attitude towards the idea of the nuclear power plant constructing. Last August "Rainbow Keepers" set up a camp of protest in the very neighborhood of the Rostov nuclear power station construction site and yet in September the protest campaign was going on to lobby the local athorities in Rostov.

The new reactor construction goes against the Russian legislation as there is no positive state experts' conclusion on the project obtained yet. Besides, there is arising the problem of utilization of radioactive wastes of nuclear power plants as well as water supplying to two operating reactors.

ACTION

It was 25th of March when the activists of the enviromental movement "Rainbow Keepers" and reprsentatives of the Socio-Ecological Union (SEU) blocked the main entrance of the one of the "Siemens" departments in Moscow.

This is an account of events by the participants:
"At 11 a.m. we chained up with handcuffes to the gate of the "Siemens" office and got our placards unrolled with "Siemens means Death", "NO nuclear power station - NO problem!", "Rainbow Keepers" on them. Meanwhile, yet another group made the next attempt to b reak through from the other side to get on the top of the roof. We had almost despaired of seing our friends there, close to heavens, but, all of a sudden, there have eventually appeared our shabby bed sheet with the robust black letters "NO" on over snow-white on blue word "Siemens". The guards gave sighs and rushed up to the roof and, unfortunately, were very quick in grabbing "Rainbow Keepers" "angels" . They made them land, thanx to a staircase of a rare comfort.

The head of the Russian branch of "Siemens" Mr.Robert Schmidt tried to drive through our gate, and he didn't appriciate us. He was shouting and incellantly asking questions without taking trouble to listen answers. On having seen the press-release headline of "Siemens is constructing dangerous reactors ", HE got a list crumples angrily and gone.

Then we decided to make a short work of the poster "Siemens means Death" as a symbol of the criminal policy of "Siemens". Like our pagan ancestors, we committed it to the sacred clearing flames bursting into wild screams and beating drum.

The strange tactics was chosen by having arrived militia: the detained only those participants had NOT been chained to the gate. Militia was likely to have no intention to busy themselves with hacksawing of our handcuffs. "Get frozen and get out yourselves" was the line of their reasoning. All the arrested activists have been released a few hours later.

We had 7 people left chained to the gate and remained standing untill 3.30 pm. Meantime the "Siemens" security and officers did their best to get rid of us by any means - either persuading or threatening, but they didn't take drastic measures actually. It occured to us, they worked out a plan of digging up a tunnel leading from the very office to outside the street.

It looks strange but the Russian Broadcasting Programs were not attracted to the sent out press-release. The only television paying much attention to us was Canadian Broadcasting System and German RTL. We shot the action ourselves and alredy brought the material to the various TV programs.

"Rainbow Keepers" are setting up the summer camp of protest against the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant construcing on which the "Siemens" producion is supposed to be mounted .

The 15th of July is gonna be the 1st Day .

Come to us! And Be with Us!

Text by Olga Miryasova and Sasha Levina. We used information of the SEU press-service.