today, 28/03/2018, has been declared a national day of mourning in russia
three days ago there has been a huge fire in a shopping mall in my native city of kemerovo. according to the official data, at least 64 people are dead or missing.
the circumstances are really grim. in one of the cinema halls on the top floor, where the fire started, a group of middle schoolers was locked and had no way out; no one came to save them. when the fire alarm went off, one of the (so-called) safety guards turned it off “so as not to spread panic”. a lot of people in charge acted completely irresponsibly.
it is now known that the city administration approved the plan of the building despite it violating all fire safety regulations, and so it stood unchecked for 5 years.
yesterday thousands of people gathered on the central square, in front of the administration building. they were protesting corruption, irresponsibility, the selfish and indifferent attitude of the local authorities.
[”The country is on fire”]
[”Corruption kills” / “I don’t see. I don’t hear. I don’t talk”]
the authorities have been accusing people, many of whom lost their family/friends, of using the tragedy to promote opposition ideas. a lot of people in power showed their ugliest side when speaking about it. “children die everyday”, our municipal administration responded to people calling for its resignation.
people all around russia stood up in solidarity with the victims while the federal and regional governments were still silent. the official memorial meeting in moscow was scheduled only hours after it became known of the inofficial one, organized by ordinary people, and after some opposition figures voiced their support for it.
people are shaken. people are mourning. but at the same time, people see what lies behind the tragedy, and they step up and raise their voices, speaking against corruption, greed and hypocrisy which causes so many deaths.
may i ask that you don’t tag this post with any of your speculations about the “actual” body count. there has been a case of pranksters calling city morgues telling them to prepare to receive hundreds of bodies just for the fun of that. stop fearmongering, as if the actual count isn’t fucking enough
funeral-biscuit 