Hundreds of people came to the UK embassy in Moscow to show their discontent with the behavior of the British authorities during the “mannequin protest” outside Russia’s diplomatic mission in London and to show solidarity with Russian diplomats.
About 500 joined the rally outside the British Embassy on Friday evening, as reported by TASS. The demonstrators were standing outside the embassy and holding placards and banners in Russian and English that read “Down with double standards!” “Our diplomats have immunity,” “The UK must stop!” and “England is war!”
They were also chanting the slogans “Hands off our diplomats!” and “Great Britain is war!” The protesters erected shield in front of the embassy that depicted the military campaigns, in which the UK took part over the recent decades, including the 2003 Iraq war, war in Afghanistan, operation in Libya and the war in Yugoslavia.
The demonstrators poured red paint over the shield symbolizing blood of civilians spilled by the British troops in these military campaigns. “We are embarrassed” by the actions of the British activists, one of the protesters told Russian TV channel Rossiya 24.
“We came here to say, ‘No,’ because what the British people are doing is at least shameful and unjust… they are violating all diplomatic norms,” another protester said.
“A country that … wages wars … and orchestrates regime changes has no right to dictate any …standards,” one Russian activist that took part in the protest said, adding that the protest outside the Russian Embassy in London was held “by the order of the British government” and “is a political put-up job.”
Some people, who fled Syria because of the war, also joined the protest in Moscow. A young Syrian woman from Aleppo told Rossiya 24 that she “does not understand the UK’s position” as Russia is helping to fight terrorism in Syria.
The protest lasted for about half an hour and ended without any incidents, although police officers were deployed to the embassy to provide security for the diplomatic mission, Russian media reported, citing police sources.
Protest outside Russia’s embassy in London orchestrated by UK govt – Russian FM spox
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, told Russia’s REN-TV channel that the actions of the protesters who rallied outside the Russian Embassy in London on Thursday were orchestrated and controlled by the British authorities.
She went on to accuse the British Foreign Office, headed by Boris Johnson, of planning, preparing and orchestrating the action. “At first, the Foreign Office and another structure give a signal and, in two weeks, some people hold an action, although they have not the slightest idea about whose interests they protect,” Zakharova said.
“We have seen their uniform and equipment that that come at a price. We understand… that all these ‘civil society activities’ are directly controlled by [British] officials and the government,” she told REN-TV, stressing that the protest was thoroughly planned in advance.
“It is a real tragedy to see how the British authorities manipulate ordinary citizens as well as how London ignores democratic institutions,” Zakharova said, adding that British “people are turned into a weak-willed and uneducated flock that does not see the heart of the problem.”
She particularly stressed that the protesters showed “absolute ignorance” of the real situation in Aleppo by their actions. She also said that the money spent on the protest could be instead sent to Aleppo to help the needy and do some real good.
“If these young men sent their money to Aleppo’s children instead of spending them on the uniform that would make much more sense,” Zakharova said.
At the same time, she stressed that the Russian Foreign Ministry never called on any activists or NGOs to hold similar rallies outside the British embassy in Moscow as it takes its obligations under the Vienna Convention seriously, thus fulfilling its commitments for providing security to the foreign diplomatic missions.