08:42, 28 March 2016

Kuban farmers abandon tractor run

Tractor race. Photo Victor Demidov, https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Трактор#/media/File:Bizon-Treck-Show_Russia_Rostov-on-Don_2009_may-5.JPG

The tractor run to Moscow, organized in protest against forcible land seizures in the Krasnodar Territory and scheduled for today, has been cancelled after farmers met a member of the All-Russia People's Front.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that about 100 farmers from nine districts of the Krasnodar Territory announced their intention to hold a tractor ride to Moscow to file an appeal to President Vladimir Putin. The farmers wanted to use their action to draw attention to numerous raider takeovers of land plots and violations of their rights.

The decision to cancel the tractor run was made on March 27, reports Alexei Volchenko, an organizer of the protest action.

According to him, Moscow "has heard the farmers' demands," and the farmers decided not to go to the Russian capital, the Radio Liberty reports.

On March 25, the "Caucasian Knot" also reported that, according to the organizers of the tractor run, Kuban farmers began to refuse to take part in the action of protest because of the pressure from local authorities.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.