"They were waiting for me in the entrance, they were banging on the door, they scared the child."
Valeria Strekalova, who heads the Communist Party of the Russian Federation faction in Syktyvkar The city council held a collective picket on May 1. The action was coordinated with the mayor's office, and 15 people participated.
We indicated in the application that the picket would be dedicated to the Day of Workers' Solidarity and the possible introduction of the DEG, Strekalova told NeMoskva. Before the picket, law enforcement officials checked to make sure everything was going according to plan. They issued a warning.
Half an hour after the protest began, a police officer stated that a number of the posters did not correspond to the stated theme. He was not pleased with the accusations against the head of the republic. To Vladimir Uyba"Hands off the city water utility!" and "Down with Uyba and his interim government."
– Uyba is trying to push through the transfer of ownership of the Syktyvkar water utility, 100 percent of whose shares belong to the municipality, to the republic, – Strekalova explained. – They plan to use the water utility's profits—tens of millions annually—to repair the Usinsky water pipeline, which is 100 percent worn out and requires billions in investment. If the company is transferred to the republic's ownership, it's unclear what will happen to its employees and water tariffs.
The deputy recalled that Uyba frequently changes ministers, pushing out locals and bringing in newcomers who are unfamiliar with the region's problems.
The day after the picket, police officers began searching for Valeria Strekalova: they called her personal and work phones and came to her home and office.
They were waiting for me in the entrance, they were banging on the door, they scared the child, – she says. – Today, an employee from the juvenile affairs department has joined the calls.
According to her, the police had already asked her yesterday for an explanation regarding the picket. The deputy didn't refuse, but asked for a summons, which still hasn't arrived in her mailbox.
“I admit that they want to hand it over as soon as possible because the management is putting pressure on it,” Valeria Strekalova believes.
At the same time, the police looking for Svetlana Zvereva, who held a rally in Ukhta on May 1.
