More Drivers Join Russian Truckers Strike Despite Police Actions Against Them

Paul Goble

            Staunton, April 22 – More drivers have joined the long-haul truckers strike over the last 24 hours, at least in the North Caucasus (kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/301492/), and they have done so despite reports that the police in some regions are now seeking to break up  the strike by detaining drivers (36on.ru/news/proisshestviya/68130-voronezhskie-politseyskie-razgonyali-zabastovku-dalnoboyschikov-protiv-platona).

            Two other developments regarding the strike are these: On the one hand, strikers are now seeking to win support from everyone who drives a car by pointing out that the fees Moscow is seeking to impose on the truckers may soon be extended to the drivers of private cars as well (kazan24.ru/news/society/segodnya-v-kazani-projdet-obedinennyj-miting-neskolkih-protestnyh-grupp).

            And on the other hand, drivers are meeting with the leaders of other protests groups in the capital of Tatarstan to explore where they can cooperate and how they can support each other’s demands (rusmonitor.com/dalnobojjshhiki-esli-segodnya-platon-ne-ostanovit-to-zavtra-budut-platit-dazhe-voditeli-legkovykh-avtomobilejj.html).

            It says everything one really needs to know that all of these reports come from agencies far from Moscow. The Kremlin’s effort to suppress all information about the strikers is proving ever more successful, at least in the central government-controlled media.  But despite the media silence, the drivers remain committed to their goals.

            And if the regime refuses to negotiate with them, there is every likelihood that they will become more radical, especially as they seek to cooperate with other opposition groups. (On that likelihood, see windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2017/04/striking-truckers-warn-moscow-shed-our.html and windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2017/04/russian-truckers-say-600000-drivers-on.html.)