Press Release: Global Mistral protest, July 14 2014

Contact: Alya Shandra, alya.shandra @ gmail.com, +380937536869, Dimitri Halby, dimitri.halby @ gmail.com Who: EuromaidanPR, No Mistrals for Putin, civic activists around the world. What: Protest against France’s contract to sell Mistral ships to Russia Facebook event: No Mistrals for Putin global protest When: July 11-14^th, 2014 Where: As part of this event, protests will take place in 18 cities and 13 countries: Washington (July 11), Dublin (July 13), Paris (July 13), Kyiv (July 14), Valencia (July 14), Vienna (July 14), New York (July 14), Bratislava (July 14), Ottawa (July 14), Montreal (July 14), Prague (July 14), Tbilisi (July 15), Toronto (July 13), Amsterdam (July 14), Ankara (July 14), London (July 14), Lviv (July 14), Madrid (July 14). Why: France has effectively concluded a military alliance with Russia, a totalitarian state with imperialistic views. After Transnistria and Georgia, Putin 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 the local population, use insane propaganda, usurp the power of local authorities and kidnap, torture, and kill those who oppose his bloodthirsty and imperialistic plans. By signing and implementing the sale of Mistral ships to Russia, France implicitly acknowledges the annexation of Crimea by Russia and enhances Putin’s capability to destabilize the situation in Ukraine. We denounce this shameful collaboration and will protest against this criminal transaction. Following the many demonstrations that took place around the world in 2014, we will now be holding a global protest to condemn this contract and express the deep concern of the international community regarding this dishonorable collaboration that ignores the founding values of the French Republic. On Bastille Day, July 14, we will demand that France remember these values! We will propose alternative solutions in order to preserve French jobs and naval industry, French dignity, the right of nations for self-determination and peace in the world. More about Bastille Day and the Mistral Deal. We demand that:

• the President of France François Hollande cancel the delivery of Mistral Vladivostok and the completion of Mistral Sevastopol;
• France cancel training courses for 400 Russian sailors by the French Navy;
• France start considering alternative solutions for the Mistral vessels: 1/ they could be purchased by the EU, NATO, Canada, USA, as proposed by experts; 2/ the Paribas Bank could purchase and lease them to NATO or the UN; 3/ other options.
• that the international community impose third-level sanctions on Russia and that Russia immediately release political hostages from Ukraine.

Please see detailed information in our analysis "The Mistral deal explained." This global protest will be held as part of  a series of global demonstrations denouncing this sale in 2014: Vilnius (March 21), St Nazaire (May 11), Kyiv (May 14), Warsaw (May 20), St Nazaire (June 1), Ivano-Frankivsk (June 1), London (June 1), Toronto (June 1), Montreal (June 1), Ottawa (June 1),Kyiv (June 1), New York (June 1), Frankfurt (June 1), Dublin (June 1), Kyiv (June 6), Washington DC (June 8), San Francisco (June 8), Vienna (June 8), Oslo (June 12), Miami (June 16), Paris (June 22), Kyiv (June 27), Berlin (June 27), Dublin (June 28), St Nazaire (June 29). Please visit our page No Mistrals for Putin and its Media Center