Antti Rautiainen

Why should we support Ukraine?

The results of the first 30 years of “democracy” in Ukraine are, to put it mildly, unconvincing. The economy and the media are in the hands of rival oligarchs, corruption is at staggering levels, economic development lags behind many African countries, and in addition, the country has become the center of the neo-Nazi movement around the world. And these problems are basically home-grown, not the result of the Kremlin’s intrigues.

In Russia, just fitting the "terrorist" profile will put you in prison

In April 2017, a bombing took place in the Saint Petersburg metro. The explosion killed 16 people and injured 103.

According to the pre-trial investigation, the suicide attack was carried out by Akbarzhon Dzhalilov and organized by the “Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad” jihadist group consisting of Uzbek fighters, active in Syria, previously with support from Al-Qaeda. The group however, did not claim responsibility for the attack.

The End of Antifa?

Despite the bleakness of the situation in Ukraine, at least I was amused by the fact that Nazis were fighting on both sides of the front, killing each other.

But then I found out that some "anti-fascists" have been doing the same 1) 2) 3).

I am sure that in terms of the entire former Soviet Union only a minority of the Antifas is willing to die for Poroshenko or Putin. However, the scale of this problem is significant, and any attempts to react to it 4) also have their shortcomings 5).

Anarchism in the context of civil war

On Friday, the 2nd of May, the House of Trade Unions in Odessa caught on fire. Altogether at least 42 people lost their lives during the clashes in the city, most of them in the fire and the others in streetfights. There is an excellent Russian language, eyewitness account of the events available .

Moscow anti-fascists amnestied

On Friday 10th of January Basmanniy district court of Moscow ceased criminal case against Alexey Olesinov, Alexey Sutuga, Alyon Volikov and Babken Guskasyan. All four were accused of “hooliganism”, a criminal offense which is included in the amnesty bill, approved as a PR stunt on initiative of Vladimir Putin himself in advent of the Sochi Winter Olympics – most known amnestied political prisoners being 30 detainees of the Arctic Sunrise ship of Greenpeace, and two imprisoned members of Pussy Riot.

On anarchism and violence

Some claim, that anarchism opposes violence, as for anarchists means and ends meet. But only second statement is correct, wherease first is not. This because in anarchism violence is not only means, but in a certain sense a goal in itself.

With this, I do not mean childish boasting about hanging last bourgeois to guts of last priest or anything like that. Destruction of class enemies as individuals is not a revolutionary goal. As Kropotkin wrote, one may hardly avoid some excesses from side of most angered people, but obviously it is goal of anarchists to minimise them.

Background of the Nizhni Novgorod Victory

In Russian mainstream media, turn of the Nizhni Novgorod was handled with little revealing headlines - "Case of Nizhni Novgorod anti-fascists was returned to investigators". Thus few understood, that as a matter of fact this was perhaps the sweetest victory of Russian anti-fascist movement this year, this far.

London Anarchist Bookfair 2012

I was invited to speak, and I agreed immediately - LAB is the biggest (or perhaps secondmost biggest, after San Fransisco) anarchist bookfair in the world, could be also the biggest annual anarchist event in the world. One may only crudely estimate number of participators, as entrance is free. Free programs were handed out, with a suggested donation of one pound. 2600 pounds were collected, which is a rather good estimation of number of participators.

Impressions from the Baltic Anarchist Meeting 2012

Almost two months have passed since the Baltic Anarchist Meeting http://www.bam2012.org/ was organised in Tallinn of Estonia 25th-27th of May, but only now I had time to write some impressions. I haven't come across any other reports yet, but I hope they would show at some point up as I missed many of the discussions. 

Enough of people

who are sorry with the fact I got kicked out from Russia. You know nothing about it, you have never been in the same situation and you will never be. I do not want to think about the whole issue, so do not say anything. 
Consider a situation, when your feet got torn off in some accident. Would peoples condolences bring your feet back?
No they would not.
Condolences make sense when it is about some temporary loss, which you may get over with. For example, if your house burns down,  you maybe may have another house at some point. 

Links on my exile from Russia

I gathered links on articles in English, Russian, Finnish and Swedish on my exile from Russia. Technically, I am not deported - it is just my residence permit annulled, and I am refused a visa. In practice, these are pretty much the same thing, actually blacklisting from a visa is even worse - deportation means five years ban of entrance, but blacklisting has no any established time limit. 
Links are ordered according to language and relevance.
In English:
Russia to deport Finnish activist who plans to write a book
Helsingin Sanomat 3th of April 2012

Antti Rautiainen denied Russian visa request

On Thursday, the 14th of June anarchist and member of the Moscow - Autonomous Action, Antti Rautiainen, was denied his Russian visa request. The refusal was not exaplained. 
Rautiainen had a Russian temporary residence permit, but it was annulled at the end of March. According to authorities, he had made "calls to violently overthrow constitutional order or Russian Federation." He was given 15 days to leave the Russian Federation.

Solidarity action in Warsaw against political repression in Russia

Solidarity action in Warsaw against political repression in Russia

On April 20 we made a solidarity action against political repression in
the form of the threatened deportation of Antti R.  (More info about
the case: http://themoscownews.com/russia/20120404/189590201.html or http://hro.rightsinrussia.info/archive/refugees-idps/antti-rautiainen/picket)
We visited the Russian Embassy with a small picket, condemning
political repression by the state.

Exiled

In the far North-West of a once mighty empire, there is a distant province, mostly known due to the sluggishness of its inhabitants. They have still not gotten rid of the statue of a czar, who ruled 150 years ago, in the central square of their capital. Inhabitants of the province have never won a single war, but they have a plenty of other reasons to be proud - for example, a ski-jumper who achieved a lot in 1980, but has since then struggled with a substance abuse problem.

The FSB is expelling political activists from Russia

On the 29th of March the Federal Migration Service of Russia gave Finnish citizen Antti Rautiainen, a member of Autonomous Action, an order to leave the Russian Federation within 15 days. According to the order, Rautiainen is suspected of "making statements for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order." Migration authorities have commented, that such decisions are made according to orders from the FSB.

Rautiainen wants to appeal the decision with help of lawyers from the "Civic Action" NGO.

Interview of Campaign to Defend Khimki Hostages for TerraSelvaggia

TerraSelvaggia is an Italian eco-anarchist paper, which made this interview with Russian Campaign to Defend Khimki Hostages last September. Paper issue came up some time ago after the usual delays, so now it is time for online publication. Keep in mind, that this interview reflects the situation in Russian society last September – before the recent massive protest against election fraud. Now much has changed since then, but much is still the same. Enjoy!
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For the beginning, about us, so that you know from which perspective we are talking.

Anarchists and the Second Chechen War

Situation in Northern Caucasus and Libertarian reaction

 

 

 

 

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This article was originally published in Avtonom #30 in the Autumn of 2008. whole issue is available in PDF format  here. It was translated for Abolishing the Borders from Below #35 in Autumn of 2009  with a number of mistakes  corrected and some information updated..

It is of little doubt that the total failure of any attempts to oppose the Second Chechen War was the most bitter defeat of the Russian anarchist movement during the past decade. A feeling of total powerlesness in front of the brutal realities of the Chechenyan meat-grinder was pressing so heavily on the imagination of anti-authoritarians during the first half of the decade, that the movement was onlyable to recovere slightly when the intensity of the war gradually calmed down. 

Author columns

Антти Раутиайнен

In April 2017, a bombing took place in the Saint Petersburg metro. The explosion killed 16 people and injured 103. According to the pre-trial investigation, the suicide attack was carried out by Akbarzhon Dzhalilov and organized by the “Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad” jihadist group...

1 year ago
Курдистан против политических репрессий в России
Авраам Гильен

18th March, 2018 (election day in Russia) anarchists all over the world have become the main force who expressed the protest against Putin's political machine. It was supporters of direct self-management who stood up most active in russian election day. A great wave of actions of solidarity...

3 years ago