What is especially striking in recordings like these, of course, is the tone the teachers use. They’re practically barking like dogs.
Anyone can yell in the heat of the moment, but in cases like this it’s always obvious—they speak to students like that all the time. It’s their normal way of communicating.
Even setting aside what was actually said: what can they possibly teach young people?
But we shouldn’t set aside what was said. Greetings from Smolensk. Today at 4:00 p.m. I have a rally here on the Dnieper embankment. And the local authorities are preparing for it in full force.
They’ve blocked roads to make it harder to get there:
Preventive talks are being held in all schools and universities: under no circumstances are people to go to Navalny’s rally; instead, they’re supposed to attend a special concert scheduled for the exact same time.
Listen to this recording from School No. 39 in the city:
There’s a moment there when the “teacher” says: you signed the paper.
Yes, they really are being made to sign a special form. And not just in Smolensk itself, but across the entire region. Here, for example, is the town of Gagarin:
It’s almost flattering, in a way, that the entire Russian Federation education system has been mobilized to shield schoolchildren and university students from my corrupting influence.
That’s right, young people should stay out of politics:
Even so, do come to the rally. 4:00 p.m., Dnieper embankment. All permits and the other required paperwork are in order.