July 6, 2014
On the 14th of July, Bastille day, a demonstration of expats, French, and Ukrainian citizens will take place in Kyiv, in order to denounce the opaque but tight military alliance between France and Russia, a totalitarian state with imperialistic views. We will request that Mr. Hollande not deliver the Mistral invasion vessels to Russia, that he look for alternative solutions, and cancel the training of 400 Russian sailors by the French Navy. Our protest will be part of a larger group of protests that have been held around the world for several weeks to denounce this contract, and which express the deep concern of the international community regarding this shameful collaboration ignoring the founding values of the French Republic. On Bastille day we will demand France to remember those values! We will meet on the 14th of July in Kyiv. More details will be announced at a later date.
Without consulting French society, without even adequately informing French citizens, and without asking the Parliament France betrays its history and its values, and chooses, in complete opacity, to be the closest military ally to Putin’s oppressive and aggressive Russia.
The reasons invoked by France in order to not cancel the contract are not convincing at all, and will be detailed during the protest. We will explain why these reasons do not hold. We will explain what risks France will face if its government decides to go ahead with this sale. We will denounce this shameful collaboration. We will reject this alliance that will tarnish the reputation and honor of France for decades to come, and that will stigmatize France in front of the international community.
One more time, we will say “no!” to the delivery of the Mistral Vladivostok, and to the completion of the Mistral Sebastopol. We will say “no!” to the training of 400 Russian sailors by the French Navy. We will say “no!” the delivery of these vessels, as they would implicitly acknowledge the annexation of Crimea by Russia, even though Russia broke several major international treaties that it signed and on which peace in Europe and in the world depends.
We will say “no!” to the delivery of these ships, as they will reinforce Putin’s ability to destabilize the region. Putin, after Transnistria and Georgia, is now sending his tanks, special forces, weapons, and mercenaries to Ukraine in order to tear apart this peaceful and sovereign country. He does not hesitate to terrorize local populations, to use insane propaganda, to usurp the power of local authorities, to kidnap, torture, and kill those who oppose his bloodthirsty and imperialistic plans.
We refuse this shameful alliance for France, and we will protest against this sale that will put in great danger our allies and partners, that are Ukraine and other countries neighboring Russia. We will propose alternative solutions in order to preserve French jobs and naval industry, French dignity, the right of people for self-determination, and peace in the world.
This demonstration will be part of a series of global demonstrations denouncing this sale: Vilnius (March 21st 2014), St Nazaire (May 11th 2014), Kyiv (May 14th 2014), Warsaw (May 20th 2014), St Nazaire (June 1st 2014), Ivano-Frankivsk (June 1st 2014), London (June 1st 2014), Toronto (June 1st 2014), Montreal (June 1st 2014), Ottawa (June 1st 2014),Kiev (June 1st 2014), New York (June 1st 2014), Frankfurt (June 1st 2014), Dublin (June 1st 2014), Kiev (June 6th 2014), Washington (June 8th 2014), San Francisco (June 8th 2014), Vienna (June 8th 2014), Oslo (June 12th 2014), Miami (June 16th 2014), Paris (June 22nd 2014), Kiev (June 27th 2014), Berlin (June 27th 2014), Dublin (June 28th 2014), St Nazaire (June 29th 2014), Dublin (July 13th 2014), Paris (July 14th 2014), and part of a global flashmob to take place on July 13-15.
Photos of our protests globally
Our group coordinating Mistral protests globally
Our latest demonstration in St Nazaire, on June 29th 2014.
The page of the Kyiv protest on July 14
Mistral Commity : Nantes, Dublin, Kyiv
