ARTS AGAINST AGGRESSION STREET FESTIVAL

When:
Saturday, Jun 14, 2014 4:30p -
8:00p

Where:
The Plaza At the Science Center Harvard University
1 Oxford Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

EventScheduled OfflineEventAttendanceMode

Admission:
FREE

Categories:
Art, Festivals & Fairs, Meetup, Music, Performing Arts, Social Good

Event website:
https://www.facebook.com/events/486698154794695/

Come celebrate the creative power of arts and protest Denis Matsuev's role in supporting Putin's aggression against Ukraine.


Mr. Matsuevv signed the letter in support of the policies of Russian President Putin with respect to Ukraine and Crimea, essentially lending the his credibility as a cultural icon to President Putin’s aggression against Ukraine and his eventual annexation of Crimea.


At the Arts Against Aggression Street Festival you will get a chance:


- To watch short documentaries about recent events in Ukraine
- Participate in one of a kind collaborative art project (with an epic culmination you will never forget)
- Enjoy art works of talented artists that donated their works for the festival
- Bid on art by others
- Hear great music performed by excellent musicians!


Summary of current events in Ukraine and Crimea and Matsuev's role in them: (version in Russian below):


Between February 28 and March 4, 2014, Russian forces seized government buildings in Crimea [1] and blockaded an airport [2], Ukrainian army bases [3], and a Ukrainian missile and air defence unit [4]. Despite claims by the Russian government that these operations were undertaken by local militias, there is overwhelming evidence that these were members of the Russian military and special forces [1,5,6]. Amidst this occupation on February 28, while the Crimean Parliament building was occupied by pro-Russian militia [7], a group of pro-Russian politicians formed a coalition and claimed authority over the Crimean peninsula [7], scheduling a referendum for March 25 (later moved to March 16) on the question of seceding from Ukraine and joining the Russian Federation [7], simultaneously appealing to Putin for help [8]. On the same day in Moscow, Russian legislators presented a bill to facilitate annexation of new territories [9].


On March 11, five days before the Crimean referendum, newspaper Izvestia published a letter that expressed "full support of the position of the president of Russian Federation on Ukraine and Crimea"[10]. The letter was signed by dozens of influential cultural figures, including Denis Matsuev. In signing this letter, Denis Matsuev and the other signatories of this letter endorsed President Putin's aggression in Ukraine, his infringement of international law, his violation of Ukraine's sovereignty, and the continued violence perpetrated on the nation of Ukraine by the special forces and military troops occupying the Crimean peninsula. He has pledged his support to an administration that has put forward an illegal referendum [11] announced merely two weeks in advance of the voting date, held despite a lack of proper monitoring by third-party institutions [12, 13, 14]. Denis Matsuev has declared himself to be on the side of the aggressor and not the victims of aggression; he has endorsed a regime whose actions have led to ongoing military escalation in Eastern Ukraine [15].


The letter was published with the intent of forestalling substantial backlash against Putin's regime, in the hopes that a demonstration of support from internationally renowned figures such as Denis Matsuev, Vladmir Spivakov, Valery Gergiev, Yuri Bashmet, etc. would sway public opinion and invalidate the concerns of Putin's critics [16]. We believe that Maestro Spivakov, as well as his fellow signatories, should be held accountable for the irresponsible misuse of their influence in the world of art and culture to enable President Putin's belligerent tactics.


In light of the aforementioned facts, we demand as responsible citizens the following:


1) that Denis Matsuev immediately apologize and withdraw his name from the list of figures in support of President Putin's policies


2) if no such apology is issued, that the upcoming tour of Denis Matsuev be cancelled.


We call to boycott Denis Matsuev's concert, and if no such cancellation occurs, we invite you to join us on June 14 to publicly protest Denis Matsuev and the repressive regime he supports.

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06/14/2014 16:30:00 06/14/2014 20:00:00 America/New_York ARTS AGAINST AGGRESSION STREET FESTIVAL Come celebrate the creative power of arts and protest Denis Matsuev's role in supporting Putin's aggression against Ukraine. Mr. Matsuevv signed the letter in support of the policies of Russian ... The Plaza At the Science Center Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 false MM/DD/YYYY

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