Ukrainians protest against Putin-ally Abramovich

On Saturday 8 March at 4pm Ukrainians living in London will protest outside Stamford Bridge against Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s support of Vladimir Putin.

The protesters are calling for the UK to back proposals for sanctions against Ukrainian and Russian oligarchs in London who have supported President Putin and his invasion of Ukraine.

Putin has made clear he is not interested in a diplomatic solution to the crisis, and the protesters believe sanctions against his supporters is one of the only options the West has to ensure peace in Crimea.


Roman Abramovich is a known close confidant and political ally of Vladimir Putin. Abramovich has an estimated fortune of U.S.$14.6 billion, and is the 50th richest person in the world, according to the 2012 Forbes list.

London Ukrainians have also held protests outside ONE Hyde Park, home of Ukraine’s richest man Rinat Akhmetov, who supported former president Viktor Yanukovych.

They also held a protest at the London Stock Exchange, which invited Yanukovych-backer Dmitro Firtash to open trading in London.

Interviewees from the Ukrainian community in London will be available.

To organise an interview or for more information, please email
londoneuromaidan@gmail.com or attend the protests.


PROTESTS IN LONDON this weekend

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Saturday 8 March, 15.00 Downing St
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Sunday 9 March, 14.00 Downing St



Notes

·                The Ukrainian community formed a group called EuroMaidan London who have been one of the most vocal and visible diaspora communities throughout the events, holding continuous protests since November.

·                A memo leaked on Downing Street revealed the British government is adamant that the City of London will be exempt from taking any economic action against Russia and Russian oligarchs. It stated “Britain will "not support, for now, trade sanctions … or close London's financial centre to Russians."

·                Abramovich was the first person to originally recommend to Boris Yeltsin that Vladimir Putin be his successor as the Russian president. Chris Hutchins, a biographer of Putin, describes the relationship between Russian president and Abramovich as like that between a father and a favorite son.