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In Penza Communists celebrate May Day with procession and rally

17:35 | 01.05.2018 | Society

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Penza, 1 May 2018. PenzaNews. On the occasion of May Day members and supporters of the Communist Party marched past the centre of Penza – from Fontannaya square to the building of the former Rodina cinema, where a festive rally dedicated to International Worker’s Day was held.

In Penza Communists celebrate May Day with procession and rally

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They were joined by Komsomol members, activists of the public organizations Children of War, Hope of Russia, the movement Left Front, as well as participants of the youth monstrance and several activists with flags of A Just Russia.

People of all ages began to gather in Fontannaya square long before the start of the event. Many of them arrived from areas of the region. Unfolding red flags and banners the participants sang Soviet songs under the accordion and congratulated each other on May Day.

At the appointed time the demonstrators lined up in a column headed by Komsomol members with a banner reading "Resistance is the only solution". The forefront of the procession also featured the deputy of the regional Legislative Assembly, presidium member of the Central Committee of CPRF, first secretary of the Penza regional committee of the party, Georgy Kamnev, the second secretary of the regional committee of the Communist Party of Russia, Vladimir Simagin, the secretaries Oleg Shalyapin and Dmitry Filyaev.

Along the way, the communists shouted the slogans: "Peace! Labour! May!", "Equality and fraternity for all peoples!" and others.

At the rally near the former cinema Rodina many speakers recalled the history of the holiday and also shared their views on what it means today.

"For us the holiday has always been and will be Red. Today on this sunny day many workers around the world participate in rallies to express solidarity in the struggle for a better future for everyone, in the struggle for free labour, in the struggle for social guarantees," Dmitry Filyaev, first secretary of the city committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, director of school No. 58, noted.

According to him, currently "communists are often represented as enemies of their country" but this is not true.

"Today standing in First May columns we claim honestly and openly: there are no greater patriots than communists; there are no other people who would love their country so ardently; there are no other people who would wish their country prosperity and freedom," he stressed.

Coordinator of the Left Front in the Volga Federal District Sergei Padalkin also turned to rally participants drawing attention to the draft of the federal law on counter-sanctions, which provides for a number of prohibitions including the prohibition to import certain foreign drugs.

"If the government wants to introduce counter-sanctions and prohibit something, take something away from people, why doesn't it ban western Coca-Cola or close McDonald's. This would be good for health at least," the opposition activist said.

He also dwelled on the problems in the field of healthcare and well-being of Russians.

"Let us admit openly – we are poor people. We cannot afford buying quality products. We look for cheaper products which as a rule contain a lot of chemicals like palm oil, different additives and poison," Sergei Padalkin noted.

In turn, the head of the Communist Party faction in the City Duma, Oleg Shalyapin reminded that the majority of deputies in the Penza region elected from the United Russia party represent interests of large business but not those of ordinary people.

In confirmation of these words he invited all comers to get acquainted with the information about earnings of his collegues in the City Duma. In particular, the communist quoted data according to which the income of deputy Sergei Lisovol and his wife exceeded 95 million roubles in 2017.

"Whereas you live on 10,000 roubles of pension and 15-20,000 roubles of salary," Oleg Shalyapin added.

Several participants of the rally mentioned the initiative to transfer the stele Glory to Heroes from Sobornaya square, which until recently was called Sovetskaya, to Prospekt Pobedy street.

Thus, representative of the National-Patriotic Forces of Russia Alexander Frolenkov claimed that the stele must be stood up for by all people together.

"This is how our solidarity should manifest itself nowadays. If we let the current government to demolish the monument Glory to Heroes, we are not worth a dime," the opposition activist emphasized.

At the end of the rally the floor was given to Georgy Kamnev. The leader of Penza communists drew attention to economic problems against the background of which officials increasingly voice proposals unpopular among people including those about increasing taxes and the retirement age.

"There is only one question – do we need such a life, do we need this kind of power? Long live socialism! Long live the power of working people – the fairest power in the world!" he concluded.

After the event, communists laid flowers to the monument Glory to Heroes, Monument to the Fighters of the Revolution, as well as to the Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin monuments.

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