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Hello. My name is Alexei Navalny, and I am
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the founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation and
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the leader of the Progress Party. These days it has become
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fashionable to record video addresses to
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truck drivers urging them not to
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take part in protest actions and not to go
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on a march to Moscow. For my part,
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I have also decided to record a video address to
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truck drivers, but this time urging them
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to definitely take part in the protests
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and go on a march to Moscow in order
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to defend their rights and
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demand the abolition of the Platon toll system. I
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have several simple and clear
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reasons why I, despite not being a truck driver, am doing this.
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First, when the Platon system was first being introduced,
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both I and the Anti-Corruption Foundation
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said right away that this was
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corruption, that this system was illegal, that
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it was illegal to simply hand the contract over without a tender
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to Rostec (the Russian state technology corporation), and then
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for Rostec to bring in a private
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partner, Rotenberg, who is effectively engaged in
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tax collection. That is corruption. If that is not
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corruption, then what is?
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Second, those same Rotenbergs—
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we have been investigating their
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activities for many, many years. They are
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a family of corrupt billionaires
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who have latched onto everything in our country.
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They were involved in the Olympics, they
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are building the bridge to Crimea, they supply
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pipes to Gazprom—they are the kings
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of state contracts. And now truck drivers, too,
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are supposed to pay them. Why? Why are these Rotenbergs
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everywhere? Are they some kind of genius
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businessmen? No. It is simply because he is a crony
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of Putin, and that is how he enriches himself. They
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have become billionaires. We publish photos of their palaces,
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we document them. They were recently caught
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moving billions of dollars abroad through Deutsche Bank,
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and nothing happened to them for it. Why should truck drivers, and all of us,
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have to pay them so that they can keep
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sending that money abroad?
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The duty of every
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patriot is to oppose any project
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involving the Rotenberg family.
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Third, they tell me: let us collect
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money from truck drivers
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and build more good roads. That is what
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the government says. And I reply
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to the government: dear government, your
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corruption in road
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construction is so severe that it steals
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half the money. So let us fight corruption,
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and then there will be no need to collect
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any money at all from truck drivers.
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Fourth, I understand perfectly well
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that if the state imposes a tax on
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truck drivers, transport operators,
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these additional
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taxes will be built into the price of goods, and when I
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go to the store—when my wife goes
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to the store to buy food for
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me and for my children—we will pay that
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money, and it will go to those same
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Rotenbergs. I completely disagree with that.
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And finally, listen:
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there is a crisis right now, and during a crisis
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the government—look at it—it helps
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everyone. It helps Gazprom, it helps
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Rosneft, it helps state banks, it
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helps the metallurgical industry. So why, against the backdrop
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of this whole spectacle of extraordinary
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generosity, should a new tax be imposed on truck drivers?
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A new tax?
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We help everyone else, but the people who earn their living through hard
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work, scraping together a few kopecks (small sums),
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we want to take away their last bit. That is
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wrong, unfair, and illegal.
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That is why, dear truck drivers,
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drivers, and everyone connected with this
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industry, you must stand up for your rights. The whole nation
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is on your side. All political parties—note this—
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except United Russia, are supporting you.
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All independent mass media outlets
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have supported you. It is
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your right to take part in protest actions.
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It is your right to engage in union struggle for
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fair pay for yourselves and your families, for
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decent wages. The whole country is on
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your side, all patriots are on your side, because on
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one side we have millions of people
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who earn an honest living, and on the other
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side there are a few crooks led by
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those damned Rotenbergs. So do not
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give up. This may be a difficult
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struggle, but the truth is on your side. For our
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part, both the Anti-Corruption Foundation and
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the Progress Party will do
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everything possible to provide you with
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organizational, legal,
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and informational support. And I am absolutely confident
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that you will achieve your goal, and this
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will be a victory not only for you—it will be
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a victory for all the people of Russia over
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corruption. Thank you.