aston university optometry personal statement

Optometry Personal Statement Examples

• 1 Personal Statement Example Links
• 2 Career Opportunities
• 3 UK Admission Requirements
• 4 UK Earnings Potential For Optometrists
• 5 Similar Courses in the UK
• 6 UK Curriculum
• 7 Alumni Network

Personal Statement Example Links

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Ever been intrigued by the complexity and wonder of human vision? Inspired by the idea of improving and preserving sight through the science of eye care?

If so, a degree in Optometry could be your perfect journey. This fascinating field equips you with the knowledge and skills to diagnose and treat a variety of eye conditions, enhancing people’s quality of life through better vision.

As an optometrist, you will be responsible for diagnosing and managing vision problems, prescribing corrective lenses and medications, and providing advice on eye care and hygiene.

You may also work alongside ophthalmologists, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive eye care services.

To become an optometrist, you will need to complete a Doctor of Optometry degree program, which typically takes four years after completing a Bachelor’s degree.

During your degree, you will gain in-depth knowledge of ocular anatomy, physiology, optics, and pathology, as well as practical experience in clinical settings.

A career as an optometrist offers a high level of job security, competitive salaries, and the opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s lives by improving their vision and overall quality of life.

👍 When writing a personal statement : Highlight your passion for the course, demonstrating your understanding of it. Use relevant personal experiences, coursework, or work history to showcase how these have fostered your interest and readiness for the course.

Career Opportunities

Someone with a degree in optometry can pursue a number of different careers and professions. These include:

• Optometrist: An optometrist is a healthcare professional who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of eye and vision care. Optometrists provide comprehensive eye exams, prescribe corrective lenses, diagnose and treat eye diseases, and perform vision therapy.
• Ophthalmologist: An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists provide comprehensive eye exams, prescribe corrective lenses, diagnose and treat eye diseases, and perform surgery.
• Optician: An optician is a healthcare professional who specializes in the fitting and dispensing of eyeglasses and contact lenses. Opticians also provide advice on the selection of frames and lenses, as well as the maintenance and repair of eyeglasses and contact lenses.
• Vision Therapist: A vision therapist is a healthcare professional who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of vision-related problems. Vision therapists provide comprehensive vision therapy, including eye exercises and vision training.
• Optical Scientist: An optical scientist is a scientist who specializes in the study of light and its properties. Optical scientists research and develop new optical technologies, such as lenses, optical instruments, and optical systems.
• Optometric Technician: An optometric technician is a healthcare professional who assists optometrists in providing eye care services. Their responsibilities include conducting preliminary eye tests, maintaining optical instruments, and assisting with patient care.

UK Admission Requirements

In order to be accepted into an Optometry course in the UK, applicants must have achieved a minimum of three A-Levels at grade A or above, with at least one of these being in a science subject. Additionally, applicants must have achieved a minimum of five GCSEs at grade A*-C or equivalent, including Maths and English.

The entry requirements for an Optometry course in the UK are generally more stringent than those for similar courses such as Ophthalmology or Orthoptics. For example, applicants to an Optometry course are usually required to have achieved higher grades in their A-Levels and GCSEs than those applying to other courses.

Additionally, applicants to an Optometry course must usually have studied a science subject at A-Level , while those applying to other courses may not be required to do so.

UK Earnings Potential For Optometrists

The average earnings for someone with a degree in optometry vary depending on the location and type of practice. According to the Association of Optometrists, the average salary for optometrists in the UK is £58,000 per year. The highest salaries are typically found in London and the South East of England, where salaries can exceed £70,000.

In terms of trends in the job market, the demand for optometrists is expected to increase over the next few years due to an aging population and an increasing awareness of the importance of eye health.

The introduction of new technologies such as telemedicine and virtual reality are likely to create more opportunities for optometrists.

Similar Courses in the UK

Other university courses related to Optometry include Ophthalmic Dispensing, Orthoptics, and Vision Science.

Ophthalmic Dispensing focuses on the practical application of optical science, teaching students the skills needed to design, supply, and fit eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Orthoptics is a specialized area of optometry that focuses on the diagnosis and management of eye movement disorders.

Vision Science is an interdisciplinary field that combines the study of optics, vision, and neuroscience to understand how the visual system works.

The key differences between these courses and Optometry are that Optometry focuses on the diagnosis and management of eye and vision problems, while the other courses focus on specific areas of the eye and vision field.

In short: Ophthalmic Dispensing focuses on the practical application of optical science, Orthoptics focuses on the diagnosis and management of eye movement disorders, and Vision Science focuses on the study of optics, vision, and neuroscience.

UK Curriculum

The key topics and modules covered in an Optometry course in the UK typically include:

• Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye: This module covers the structure and function of the eye, including the anatomy of the eye, the physiology of vision, and the optics of the eye.
• Ophthalmic Optics: This module covers the principles of optics and the use of optical instruments, including the use of lenses and prisms, and the measurement and correction of refractive errors.
• Clinical Optometry: This module covers the diagnosis and management of eye diseases and disorders, as well as the application of optical aids and contact lenses.
• Contact Lens Practice: This module covers the use and fitting of contact lenses, and the management of contact lens-related problems.
• Low Vision and Rehabilitation: This module covers the diagnosis and management of low vision, as well as the use of low vision aids.
• Professional Practice: This module covers the professional responsibilities of an optometrist, including the ethical and legal aspects of practice.

Hands-on experience and practical work are integral to an Optometry course. Students will typically have the opportunity to work with patients in a clinical setting, as well as practice fitting contact lenses and using optical instruments.

Alumni Network

Notable alumni from the course of optometry include Dr. George Waring IV , who is a professor at the University of Alabama School of Optometry. He is an internationally recognized leader in the field of optometry and has contributed to the advancement of the profession through his research, teaching, and clinical practice.

Dr. Waring has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and has lectured extensively on the topics of contact lenses, ocular disease, and vision care. He is also the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the American Academy of Optometry’s Distinguished Service Award and the American Optometric Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The University of Alabama School of Optometry also hosts an annual Alumni Reunion, which is a great opportunity for alumni to connect with each other and stay up to date on the latest developments in the field.

Alumni also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of networking events, such as the Alumni Networking Dinner, which is held twice a year. This event provides alumni with the opportunity to meet and network with fellow alumni and faculty members. Additionally, alumni can join the Alumni Association, which provides access to exclusive events and resources.

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Optometry Personal Statement

Use this Optometry personal statement example as an inspiration to write your own for the UK university application, if you are applying to study Optometry course.

Finding a profession that both fulfils one’s intellectual interests and provides a sense of purpose is the key to a rewarding career. It would be necessary for me to pursue a career with a solid scientific aspect to work, since I have always been fascinated by the fields of biology and chemistry, with the objective of helping people every day. As a result of my involvement in various work placements within the health sector, I have come to realize that optometry is a profession that allows me to combine both. I have been captivated by human anatomy because of my studies in sciences at school. Studying biology has allowed me to gain a great deal of insight into how the human body develops diseases and how it attempts to fight them – sometimes unsuccessfully. Studying Level Chemistry has reinforced my understanding of biochemistry, which has been of particular interest to me. In school, I have thoroughly enjoyed studying biology and chemistry, and I look forward to applying what I have learned in these subjects to gain a detailed understanding of ocular science.

An extended work placement at a local optician helped me gain a deeper understanding of optometry both as a field of study and a profession. I shadowed different opticians as they performed eye tests and contact lens fittings during the placement. The importance of good communication skills in optometry has become apparent to me. Customers and patients would have a much more difficult time navigating what can often be complex procedures without them. In cases where patients are suffering from vision problems or are distressed by the prospect of undergoing tests, opticians should also act with empathy and patience. In the laboratory, I also had the opportunity to observe – and sometimes participate in – the lens and frame preparation processes during my placement. As a result of this experience, I have a much better understanding of the different types of lenses that are used in glasses, as well as the technical skills involved in making them. Since I found the work placement so rewarding, I have continued to volunteer every Saturday at the same optician.

I have also carried out a work placement at a local pharmacy. This experience encouraged me to develop some of the personal skills that I believe are necessary for working as an optician. During the placement, I had the opportunity to interact with customers. Through this, I learnt how much I enjoy work in which I can offer advice to people, and also felt a gratifying sense of responsibility in response to the fact that the advice I gave them regarding non-prescription medication could play a role in alleviating the symptoms of their health problems.

In my spare time, I have participated in a range of activities that also allow me to be involved in helping people. In Year 12 I mentored a group of Year 7 students; I enjoyed being able to make them feel less apprehensive about starting life in secondary school. I have been involved with several fund-raising initiatives for Afrikids and Cancer Research, such as selling cakes and doing a sponsored walk. These activities gave me a sense of satisfaction by allowing me to work as part of a team with a common goal. My sense of teamwork has also been improved by my involvement in my school’s hockey and netball teams. On a more personal note, I am a highly enthusiastic musician; I play the guitar, and also particularly enjoy traditional Indian music. I have found learning to play an instrument to be both an outlet for self-expression and a way of developing my skills of perseverance. I am also an avid reader of fiction, in particular stories that ignite my sense of adventure, such as Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

Recommended reading:

• Personal Statement Examples
• How to Write a Personal Statement for a PhD
• UCAS Personal Statement: A Writing Guide And Tips For Success
• How to Write a Personal Statement That Stands Out
• Tips for Writing a Personal Statement for the University
• How to Write UCAS Reference Letter

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Inside OptomCAS Part II: Your Personal Statement for Applying to Optometry School

In the previous post, we zoomed in on the Letters of Evaluation (LOEs) section of the application for optometry school, clarifying requirements and providing some pearls for effectively fulfilling them. This time we turn our attention to another crucial part of the application: the personal statement, a.k.a., the essay.

The LOEs and the personal statement [both of which you’ll manage through the  Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS)]  are relied upon heavily by the schools and colleges of optometry as they determine whether you’re the type of person who can succeed as a student in their programs and as a future optometrist. Your official instructions for composing the essay are as follows: “Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your aptitude and motivation, the basis for your interest in optometry, and your future career goals. Your essay should be limited to 4500 characters.”

While the instructions have a kind of “just the facts,” flat quality, your essay will need to be the opposite of that in order to provide the admissions office with information they’ll notice and appreciate. According to Michael Bacigalupi, OD, MS, FAAO, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs & Admissions at Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry (NSU), “The personal statement allows me to get to know a student much better than just filling out blank spaces and checking off boxes on an application. It gives me a better sense of who the applicant is. Through the personal statement, students can convey what we’re looking for, which is motivation, dedication and a love of the profession of optometry. Those qualities aren’t measurable by OAT scores and GPAs.” By the way, Dr. Bacigalupi uses the word “love” of the profession on purpose. “I want students to be passionate about becoming an optometrist,” he says. “Like in any health profession, the rewards can be substantial, but the road to success is not easy, so you have to love it.”

Like some other schools and colleges of optometry, NSU requires applicants to submit an essay in addition to the personal statement. In fact, they ask for two supplemental essays. The two essay questions change from time to time, but for the last application cycle they were: 1) “What specifically are your reasons for choosing to apply to Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry?” and 2) “Professional school is very challenging. What experiences in your life and/or undergraduate career have prepared you for the rigors of optometry school?”

Dr. Bacigalupi says the statements and essays (he reads about 3,000 per year) that catch his attention are the ones that tell a story and talk about a crossroad or a serious decision an applicant made in life that led him or her to optometry as a career. He cites as an example, “Let’s say someone was an at-risk youth but realized that’s not the way he or she wanted to end up so instead took the right path and decided to focus on school. That’s a story that illustrates motivation.” He also recalls an essay from an applicant who had temporarily lost his vision, which led to the realization of how important sight is in daily life and the desire to help safeguard it for others. Don’t worry if your experiences aren’t as dramatic as those, Dr. Bacigalupi says, just be honest while providing insight into who you really are.

Essays that definitely don’t impress are those that seem to be quickly thrown together or are poorly crafted and contain spelling or grammar errors. “What comes across through those things is that the applicant rushed through this step without much care, which may indicate a lack of commitment or that this isn’t that important to him or her,” Dr. Bacigalupi explains. He recommends having another person or people, perhaps with no ties to optometry, read the personal statement with an eye toward content, grammar and readability before it’s submitted. “That gives you insight into whether it’s readable and will be effective,” he says.

Need more inspiration and ideas about what to write about in your personal statement? ASCO points out in its Optometry Career Guide that, in general, optometry schools are looking for students who can demonstrate strong academic commitment as well as exhibit the potential to excel in deductive reasoning, interpersonal communication and empathy. They like to attract well-rounded candidates who have achieved not only in the classroom but also in other areas, such as in leadership ability. A disposition to serve others and a work ethic characterized by dedication and persistence are other desirable qualities. Adds Dr. Bacigalupi, “We want to see in the statement and essays that we’d be admitting teachable students who ultimately will make good colleagues; therefore, the right balance of people skills and academic abilities is very important.”

The 2015-2016  OptomCAS application  cycle opens on July 1, so the time to start working on your essay is right about now. Good luck!

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Aston University Personal Statements

These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to Aston University. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place.

You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities .

Politics & International Relations Personal Statement Example 1 I have always taken a keen interest in public affairs, always wanting to know what was happening in the world so studying politics and international relations is a natural attraction for me. I have been encouraged to pursue concentrated study due to my incredible fascination with the impact that political decision making has on humanity...

Business Studies Personal Statement Example 1 Business is not just about figures and charts, it would be nothing without the people driving it forward. Therefore the part of the Business Studies’ A-level that has inspired me the most has been Human Resource Management...

Business Management Personal Statement Example 5 ‘A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.’ – Richard Branson Since successful completion of my work experience at the end of Year 10, I have developed an ever-increasing interest in Business, the people involved in it and how I might use my skills to one day compete in that environment...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 58 Curiosity and amazement of the world has led me to want to understand what the reasoning is to why we learn, and why the consequence of reinforcement produces the repetition of behaviour, either positive or negative...

Economics and Finance Personal Statement Example 15 Through life's experiences, I have come to realise that the economy affects almost everything in the world. Newspapers dedicate more headlines to financial issues in comparison to other topics. This has led to the realisation that without a good stable economy the world could fall to its knees, for example, the Wall Street collapse of 1929 and the more current financial crisis which started in 2007...

Accounting and Finance Personal Statement Example 7 For me Accounting is something I am incredibly passionate about. From a young age I have always enjoyed Mathematics and problem solving; fortunately for me these two interests of mine are a part of the fundamentals of Accounting and Finance...

Chemical Engineering Personal Statement Example 10 Chemical engineering is a most fascinating field of all the branches of science and engineering. To me it truly reflects human endeavour and spirit through means such as the exploration of unknown substances, and making something of worth and value out of mere raw materials...

Business Management Personal Statement Example 7 The role of a leader can be tough. Motivating people, supporting people, making decisions and learning from your mistakes are only just a few things you can expect from managing a team. However if you, your team members and your business prosper and succeed, it gives you a sense of achievement like no other...

Chemical Engineering Personal Statement Example 11 Whilst at a local canal festival, I saw a hydrogen powered barge which intrigued me. I thought that this was my first experience of chemical engineering, until I researched what this field encompassed...

Pharmacy Personal Statement Example 9 I would like to study pharmacy as I wish to play a part in providing medical assistance to the general public, but in also understanding how this process occurs. My enthusiasm in science highly interests me into learning about the production of drugs and their functions on the body...

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Statement of the Russian

Statement of the Russian section of the IWA in relation to events in Khimki

We, militants of the Confederation of Revolutionary Anarcho-syndicalists (Section of the International Workers Association in Russia) are in full solidarity with the residents of Khimki and with environmental community, who protest against the barbaric destruction of the forest Khimki during the construction of railroad route. We consider for intolerable that the city authorities are using gang of neo-Nazi thugs to fight the defenders of the forest.

Recognizing the validity and fairness of civil resistance, we warn at the same time against any attempts to translate an just public outrage in the nationalist channel. In this regard, we are appalled that in the recent protests in front of Khimki Administration, some persons acting on behalf of the "anti-fascists" and "anarchists", chanted chauvinistic slogans in support of the "Russian" forest, unfurled banners, deliberately written in Church Slavonic fonts, and called the current power "occupational", like German Nazis in 1941. We are confident that our environment does not belong to any individual "people" or "ethnicity", but is the common heritage of mankind and the key to its survival. Calls to protect "Russian" forest from certain alien invaders (as implied, "non-Russian") only fueled the nationalist sentiments and are completely unacceptable in the mouths of people who consider themselves "anti-fascists" and, moreover, anarchists!

We are outraged by the attempts of people, borrowing nationalistic slogans, to use for self-promouting the name of Stanislav Markelov who was a convinced antinatsionalist. We remember that in the pages of the “Red Book of Antifa" Stanislaw called leftists to abandon patriotic phrases. Attempts to invoke his name in the course of action under nationalist slogans are not allowed.

DEATH TO NATIONALISM!

OUT THE NATIONALISTS FROM SOCIAL MOVEMENTS!

NO WAR BETWEEN PEOPLES - NO PEACE BETWEEN CLASSES!

REPRESSIONS IN MOSCOW In the

REPRESSIONS IN MOSCOW

In the morning on July 29, libertarian antifascist Alexey Gaskarov was arrested on the street by people in civilian clothes and taken to an unknown destination. As it turned out they were employees of the so called “Anti-Extremist Center" of police. They broke most of the rules, which are described in the Law. That night at his apartment was searched without a warrant or any other providing paper, there was no inventory of the property and witnesses.

Alexey is known in social amnd libertarian circles of Moscow and is opposed to violence and pogrom-style actions. He was never seen in the nationalist speeches. Therefore, it is clear that imposing on him the blame for the attack on the building of Khimki administration, during which slogans of national-patriotic nature were shot, the authorities try now to discredit the independent social movement.

Alexey is charged under "hooliganism". On July 31 the process began, and Alexey can obtain until 7 years of prison!

We encourage to disseminate this information and to protest.

Freedom for Alexey Gaskarov!

Quote: chanted chauvinistic

chanted chauvinistic slogans in support of the "Russian" forest, unfurled banners, deliberately written in Church Slavonic fonts

Look, I agree that it is most important to discuss if "save Russian forest" is a chauvinistic slogan, or if Church Slavonic fonts are politically correct from point of view of anarchist political theory, but this is perhaps not the most appropriate moment.

But thanks for sharing with us the position of the mighty international, I am sure it entertained many in this board.

BTW, anyone know where I may download anarcho-syndicalistically correct fonts, or ensure that my current fonts are not fascist?

The question about slogans is

The question about slogans is a question about action. Moreover, there was a cry "Beat the jews" ("Bey zhidow"). One can listen it in you tube film about action.

So, I propose don`t glorify this action and instead to help to anarchist comrade Gaskarov which is now in process against him (in false relation with the case). We will inform about address for send protest e-letters and faxes

A propos: plese

A propos: plese anarcho-syndicalist fonts :))

http://aragon.cnt-ait.es/wp-content/libertariaCNT.ttf

Quote: Moreover, there was a

Moreover, there was a cry "Beat the jews" ("Bey zhidow"). One can listen it in you tube film about action.

In which moment of the film? Tell me minute and seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqQFtJMBPbc&feature=related

Quote: http://www.youtube.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqQFtJMBPbc&feature=related 3.37/3.38

I think the shout is very unclear, it is by one person (perhaps random idiot from the city) and only once. If it was "bey jidov", I am rather sure he would have been beaten up if he did it other time and more clearly.

At this time 3.37/3.38 the

At this time 3.37/3.38 the man, running behind the camera, shouts "Mercedes", it's rhyme to the slogan "russkiy les" (russian forest), maybe because this man didn't like the slogan or it's joke. Russian is my mother-tongue, I didn't hear any "bey jidov" and other fucking slogans on this video! Many people dislike this slogan, I mean "russian forest", though it was an irony to nazi scum's chant. It's just an attempt to show nazi, that they haven't anything, we just want to take back what they stole, the name of nation couldn't be a part of nazi "culture"! it's what it is all about! I can't understand you, why are you against us, why do you want to put us down? Try to understand at first, and when - write such things!

Many people hear about

Many people hear about "zhidy" and your tentatives are false. Of course, it was not cleare prononced. Of course, it was neither "official" slogan not position of majority of demonstrants. The question is another: by many antifa in Russia patriotism is tolerable.

In my opinion, such jokes are impossible! Moreover in Russia.

And an other question: you can imagine German antifa crying "Save GERMAN forest" and writing slogans with Gothic font? ))

>Many people hear about

>Many people hear about "zhidy" who are that people? Where you can hear "zhidy"?? I DON'T HEAR, for the life of me! You know, you act like fucking nazi scum, who write, that they see there like people throw up arms in "zeig heil", while people throw up fists! What do you want??

>patriotism is tolerable. Not for me, not for my friens. Yes it's problem, that there are "public-spirited" antifa, but it's our problem, and we fight with it, like with nazism. Don't draw an analogy between Germany and Russia, everyone knows that it's not the same!

>such jokes are impossible! Do you mean "mercedes" is impossible? Well, you are just dull beggar then!

Actually, I also heard

Actually, I also heard "Mercedes" but I could not figure out why someone would shout that, so I thought "bey jidov" would also be possible. But now I think "mercedes" is a more likely explanation, just as a joke from someone who thought it rhymes with "russkiy les".

Khimki city court left in

Khimki city court left in custody the both suspects of the attack on the city administration, Maxim Solopov and Alexey Gaskarov. They were remanded for two months.

Source: http://www.gazeta.ru/news/lenta/2010/08/03/n_1529159.shtml

(through https://avtonom.org/en/node/12897)

Previous articles on topic, including autotranslations on articles on falsifications of the remand court: https://avtonom.org/en/khimki

Yet there is no information on to which remand prison they are sent and if they will be allowed mail or not.

there is a facebook support

there is a facebook support group here:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123233894390151

Foristaruso is a person who

Foristaruso is a person who is far from real activity of russian anarchists and antifa. The slogan about russian forest is strange and wrong in my opinion. But nobody have right to call "nationalists" 500 antifa and anarchists JUST becouse one groop of people use that rong slogan. Foristaruso is callin "nationalist" everyone who disagree with him.

admin - flaming removed +1

admin - flaming removed

 http://www.themoscowtimes.co

 http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/khimki-battle-stirs-press-freedom-fears/412036.html

Khimki Battle Stirs Press Freedom Fears

10 August 2010

By Alexander Bratersky

An ongoing tussle over the Khimki forest is raising fears that media freedoms are in jeopardy, with the police pressuring journalists into collaborating or revealing their sources of information, media freedom activists said Monday.

In the most recent incident, investigators on Monday removed Alexander Litoi, a reporter for the liberal Novaya Gazeta daily, from a train in the Moscow region to question him about a July 28 attack on the Khimki City Hall building.

The City Hall building was pelted with stones and smoke grenades by 90 to 300 attackers who protested what they called unlawful destruction of the Khimki forest, slated for a partial demolition to make way for an $8 billion highway despite protests from environmentalists.

Litoi said the police wanted him to disclose information about members of an anti-fascist movement that took responsibility for the City Hall attack, Ekho Moskvy radio reported. He said he was not present during the attack.

Last week, police officers visited the offices of several newspapers, including Kommersant, asking staff for information about the attack.

The requests amount to an attempt to disclose journalists' sources, which can only be revealed on court orders — something that investigators did not obtain, said Andrei Rikhter, a media professor at Moscow State University's school of journalism.

Police investigators have also visited the headquarters of the Svobodnya Pressa online daily, asking for photos of the City Hall attackers.

Several reporters from Komsomolskaya Pravda and Moskovsky Komsomolets have been summoned for questioning, and police officers have also visited the home of the Gazeta.ru reporter Grigory Tumanov.

“These are attempts to discredit reporters,” Rikhter said, adding that the law does not offer the media sufficient protection from police abuse.

“The media law doesn't ban [police] from conducting searches in offices of media outlets and summoning reporters for questioning,” he said.

Moscow and Moscow region police spokespeople provided no comment on the media freedom allegations Monday. A Khimki police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Moscow Times that police were only acting on request of civil authorities in the case. He did not elaborate.

The relatively independent print media has become a source of irritation for the authorities after television, the No. 1 source of news for most of the population, was placed under firm state control in the early 2000s, said Boris Timoshenko, a researcher at the Glasnost Defense Foundation.

He said the Khimki attack has served as a source of embarrassment for the police because the police had failed to react fast enough to make any arrests.

“They are looking for scapegoats,” he said.

Two suspects have been charged in connection with the attack and face up to seven years in prison. The two deny involvement and claim that they were targeted for being prominent figures in the anti-fascist movement.

Some media experts said the police have grown more bold in going after journalists after State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov, who chairs the ruling United Russia party, attacked two newspapers for critical articles following the March 29 suicide bombings in the Moscow metro that killed 40 people.

Gryzlov claimed that articles in Vedomosti and Moskovsky Komsomolets about Chechen warlord Doku Umarov, who claimed responsibility for the bombings, showed that the newspapers “might have been connected with terrorist activity.”

Both newspapers filed defamation suits against Gryzlov, but lost.

Solidarity action with the

Solidarity action with the defenders of the Khimki forest in Tel Aviv

Today, the 13th of August there was a picket of solidarity with detained on trumped-up case Russian anti-fascists - Alexey Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov. About 30 demonstrators protested against terror of the Russian government and its cooperation with the Nazis, they also demanded the immediate release of political prisoners and to take action against those responsible for beating defenders of Khimki forests, including the cops.

During the meeting, Putin was personally summoned to a straight up fight by one of the participators , who promised to "beat the Russian imperialism." Some time later, Revolutionary Confederation of Anarcho-Syndicalists (RKAS) hanged a statement about the events in Khimki, as well as an invitation to free market to be held in the heart of Tel Aviv next Friday.

RKAS - Israel and the Committee for Workers' International organised the picket. Performance was organised by 4ert

(source and photos: https://avtonom.org/en/node/12992)

Are there any updates?

It is no way we may translate

It is no way we may translate all news to English and post here.

Currently the most often updated English forum is the facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123233894390151

You may also get an idea what is going on from autotranslations in avtonom.org:

http://www.avtonom.org/en/khimki

Below article from the

Below article from the independent about yesterday's protest in Moscow.

it is important to note, that organisers let to the podium a speaker, appealing for solidarity with Alexey and Maksim, and also a large banner and fundraising for anarchist and anti-fascist prisoners (check photos from avtonom as well: http://www.avtonom.org/node/13072)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/rockstar-critic-takes-new-swipe-at-putin-2059366.html

Rock-star critic takes new swipe at Putin

By Shaun Walker in Moscow

Yuri Shevchuk

Yuri Shevchuk: the Russian rock singer performed at the Moscow protest rally

* Photos enlarge

sponsored links:

Hundreds of Russian police surrounded a central Moscow square yesterday as a prominent critic of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin led a protest concert against a road-building scheme that is becoming a focal point for demonstrations against the Kremlin. More than 1,000 people gathered at Pushkin Square to protest against a new road that will go through Khimki Forest just outside the capital, part of a new highway between Moscow and St Petersburg.

Organisers of yesterday's meeting had planned a protest concert by Yuri Shevchuk, one of Russia's best-known rock musicians, who confronted Mr Putin about democratic freedoms this year during a televised meeting.

But police surrounded the square and refused to allow any equipment in, forcing the singer to sing without a microphone through a barely functioning loudspeaker, from a makeshift stage. "Khimki Forest has become a symbol," said Mr Shevchuk before the concert. "It doesn't matter where you live. Everywhere there are environmental problems, and soulless bureaucrats who do all they can to make sure we have no fields, no forests and no rivers. They destroy it all and turn it into money to line their own pockets."

Activists say that there are several alternative routes for the highway that would avoid the forest. The long-running protest has led to several activists being detained, facing court cases and fines.

"All we want to do is breathe clean air," shouted Evgeniya Chirikova, one of the group's most prominent activists, at yesterday's meeting. "Can you hear us, Mr President? What else do we have to do to make ourselves heard?"

Ms Chirikova has been detained by police on several occasions, and after emerging from a courtroom three weeks ago was bundled into an unmarked car by police and driven away. She was later released.

Yesterday, Shevchuk sang songs including one called "When the oil runs out", which talks about a bright future for Russia when the country stops relying on exports of natural resources. In May, he confronted Mr Putin during a televised meeting between the prime minister and cultural figures in St Petersburg.

Shevchuk complained that Russia was ruled by "dukes and princes with sirens on their cars", and asked Mr Putin if he really wanted a society with real democracy where "people stop being afraid of policemen on the street".

In one of the most frank discussions that Mr Putin has faced in his decade in power, Mr Shevchuk also asked why police break up opposition rallies brutally. A visibly irritated Mr Putin said that "without a normal democratic development this country will have no future", and said protests should be allowed, within reason. But this did not stop police from dispersing, with their usual vigour, a large protest rally in Moscow a few days later .

Yesterday's meeting was allowed, but police blocked entrance to people trying to watch the impromptu concert. The Moscow Mayor's office said that it had allowed only a meeting, and not a concert, hence the banning of loudspeakers and other equipment.

Artemy Troitsky, a well-known music critic who spoke at the rally, said: "Khimki Forest has become a metaphor for everything that is wrong with Russia, like Chekhov's Cherry Orchard once was. Many of the people here are not particularly political, but by their actions, the authorities have turned this from an environmental protest into a political one."

In a separate protest, police detained two prominent opposition leaders, including the former deputy prime minister, Boris Nemtsov. Mr Nemtsov and Mikhail Schneider were detained for leading about 100 protesters through Moscow carrying a large Russian flag.

Latest news - Medvedev

Latest news - Medvedev ordered to halt construction. Below NY TImes article

Halting the construction is for sure good news for the forest, but it may mean that our prisoners are forgotten now (before this, pretty much all of the Khimki movement was solidly supporting arrested anti-fascists, although not necessary all of them accepted the attack against administrative building of Khimki 28th of July).

Kremlin Relents, for Now, to Foes of Highway By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ Published: August 26, 2010 MOSCOW ‹ For years, environmentalists have risked arrests and sometimes beatings by the police and masked plainclothes thugs in their efforts to halt the construction of a highway linking Moscow to St. Petersburg that they say would destroy the Khimki Forest, one of the few remaining in the Moscow region. Enlarge This Image Pool photo by Mikhail Klimentyev

U2 frontman Bono, left, talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about opposition to a controversial highway project.

Typically in Russia, such efforts lead to little but holding cells or worse for proponents of a cause. But supporters of the Khimki Forest were handed a surprising victory on Thursday when President Dmitri A. Medvedev reacted to the public outcry. He postponed construction of the highway. ³Given the number of appeals, I have made a decision,² Mr. Medvedev said in a message on his video blog. ³I order the government to halt the implementation of the decision to build this highway and conduct further civic and expert discussions.²

He added, ³These have already been conducted, but taking into account heightened resonance this issue has had in society, I do not see anything wrong with returning to these discussions.²

The triumph came not a moment too soon for environmentalists and their supporters. Workers had already begun to clear sections of the forest this summer and had planned to resume in October.

³This has flabbergasted us. It was completely unexpected,² said Sergei Ageyev, a member of the environmental group leading the opposition to the highway. ³It is simply a stunning victory for civil society.²

The decision does not definitively halt construction, but was nevertheless surprising given the strong-arm tactics employed against opponents. During protests in the forest this summer, gangs of masked men attacked environmentalists, beating several. The police have detained others.

Mikhail Beketov, an investigative journalist and outspoken opponent of the highway, was savagely attacked by unidentified men in November 2008 and is now severely brain damaged.

At issue is the fate of a 2,500-acre oak forest, north of Moscow in the town of Khimki. Vladimir V. Putin, the current prime minister and Mr. Medvedev¹s mentor, signed an order for the construction of a new highway traversing the forest when he was still president.

Top officials in the federal government and the powerful governor of the Moscow region have backed the idea as the simplest and most cost effective way to strengthen transportation links between Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia¹s two largest cities.

Few dispute the need. Currently, the trip by car is a treacherous 430-mile drive on a potholed road populated with aggressive truck drivers and bribe-seeking traffic police officers. The journey can take 10 hours or more.

Environmentalists have called for building the new highway close to the existing road, which runs through an industrial zone. Building the highway through the forest, they say, would disrupt the ecological balance of Moscow, which depends on a shrinking belt of green space around it to help filter air pollution.

³This forest is our air,² Yevgenia Chirikova, the leader of a protest movement, said in an interview at a recent demonstration. ³If this highway goes through the Khimki Forest, a hole will be punched in the protective ring.²

This summer¹s 100-degree temperatures, along with the huge wildfires that blanketed Moscow and the surrounding region with noxious smoke, seem to have persuaded officials to look anew at the arguments of environmentalists, especially since their calls to save the forest seem to have resonated with many residents of this city and beyond.

More than 2,000 people gathered in central Moscow for a protest against the construction plans last weekend, an exceptionally large turnout here. And last month, hundreds of people raided the Khimki mayor¹s office, throwing rocks and smoke bombs in retaliation for earlier attacks on environmentalists defending the forest.

Environmentalists might also have gained a little help from Bono, the U2 frontman. He was in Moscow for a concert on Wednesday, and, after a meeting with Mr. Medvedev, the Interfax news agency reported, offered the Khimki Forest protectors his support.

Moscow anti-fascist

Moscow anti-fascist hospitalised with a brain injury following a torture by police

26th of August, three plain-clothed officers detained anti-fasict Nikita Nikolaevich Chernobaev in Moscow suburb of Ramenskoye, born 1991.  According to lawyer and human rights activist Mikhail Trepashkin.,Nikita was taken to local premises of Ministry of Interior, where an employee of the security service FSB, began to demand from him a confession for his participation to an action at the administrative building of the city of Khimki July 28, 2010.

During his first interrogation he succeeded to make a phone call to his mother, saying that he was not allowed legal counsel and that he will sign anything police demands. The mother asked: "Are they beating you up?". Nikita answered: "Yes." Chernobaev was only released at 1 AM 27th of August , after having signed a "confession" and an agreement on further cooperation.

After leaving the police station,  mother called an ambulance. Nikita told that they demanded him to sign a confession about having been in Khimki and witnessed some people having participated to the action,  and when he refused, they beat him to the head and other parts of the body, dressed head bag and blocked the air for breathing.

After such torture, he signed everything without reading it. After release, he had visible traces from the  handcuffs on his hands, traces from suffocation around his neck and a black eye.

 Paramedics brought Chernobaev to a hospital where doctors reported traces of torture ito the local police station. They recorded a statement. After that, the same three officers who beat Chernobaev attempted to pick up Nikita from the hospital. For security reasons, he was transferred to a hospital in Moscow However, this step does not guarantee him a calm treatment.

According to Trepashkin, these three police officers first declared to Chernobaev that they are from the criminal investigation, and during interrogation they claimed to be from the FSB,. They flatly refused to give their names.

  Please call to number +7-496-46-342-10, and ask names of the people who tortured him. It is with this phone they called mother of Nikita and tried to find out to which hospital Chernobaev was moved.

Anarchist Black Cross of Moscow P.O. Box 13 109028 Moscow Russia abc-msk AA riseup DD net http://www.avtonom.org/abc http://www.myspace.com/abcmsc

We are now also in facebook - please like both of our pages if you have an account!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anarchist-Black-Cross-of-Moscow/144050225617540 (in English) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anarhiceskij-Cernyj-Krest-Moskva/146337378727567 (in Russian)

(source: http://avtonom.org/en/node/13141)

To magidd: Oh yes ))) We in

Oh yes ))) We in the KRAS are very very far from REAL activity. So far that 2 comrades from our organization made strikes in their workplaces in May. May be mister MagiDD made it too?

The "wrong" (only wrong??) slogan was used not by "a group" but by organizators.

For example, I call nationalist you which wrote about "jewish mafia regime" in Ukraine in 1919?

Global action day

Global action day 2.0

November 12–15, 2010: New International Days of Action We Demand that the Russian Authorities Close the Khimki Case and Drop All Charges against Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov

In late October 2010, Russian social activists Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov were released from police custody on their own recognizance by the Khimki Municipal Court. They had been arrested a day after a protest in defense of the Khimki Forest on July 28, 2010. Now they are free pending trial, but the criminal case against them has not been closed. They have been formally charged with disorderly conduct, and if convicted, they could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison. The dates of their trials have not been set, but meanwhile prosecutors are demanding that Alexei and Maxim be returned to police custody. Aside from Alexei and Maxim, there are two other people who have been charged in the case, and prosecutors might bring charges against even more people in the very new future. Since Alexei and Maxim were arrested in late July, police investigators have been stubbornly fabricating arrest protocols, evidence, and eyewitness testimony and using force to extract statements from the hundreds of people they have hunted down and detained. What will happen to all these thick case files filled with fabrications? They will form the basis of the prosecution’s case in court. And so the fact that Alexei and Maxim have now been released from jail is not the end of the battle but a signal that we must continue to act decisively on their behalf. We will not allow the authorities to cover up the illegal destruction of the forest and the persecution of its defenders with the soiled robes of counterfeit justice. We will force the authorities to close the Khimki Case and drop charges against all activists!

Why do the Russian authorities insist on turning activists into criminals and demanding prison sentences for them? For the same reason that they have either not launched or halted investigations into the near-fatal beating of journalist Mikhail Beketov, the murder of newspaper worker Sergei Protazanov, and the numerous attacks on Khimki residents. The policemen who beat up environmentalists defending the forest and arrested people participating in legal pickets have not been punished. The police investigators who tortured witnesses in the Khimki Case have not been punished. Can we expect fair trials for Alexei and Maxim when we have witnessed lawlessness and injustice so many times? Khimki judges have on numerous occasions shown all of us that we cannot count on their respect for the law and common sense. We demand that the case be closed!

The protest action that took place in Khimki on July 28, 2010, was a response to the lawlessness and violence perpetrated against local residents, journalists, and activists. It was a highly emotional response to the fact that all previous protests had not just been ignored by the authorities but had been cruelly suppressed. As a result of this protest, the Russian authorities began heeding the voice of the forest’s defenders. The campaign to defend the forest caught this gust of hot July wind and continued to act using other means. The authorities must end their persecution of the people who took part in this protest and the forest defenders. All charges against Alexei Gaskarov, Maxim Solopov, and other activists must be dropped.

What You Can Do

1. During the international days of action on November 12–15, 2010, hold eye-catching protest actions in your cities at official political and cultural events organized by the Russian authorities as well as outside Russian Federation embassies and consulates. Demand to meet with official Russian representatives and give them your petitions. Any Russian company, product or event can be a successful occasion for your protests.

2. Send faxes to the Khimki Municipal Court (+7-495-572-8314), the Moscow Region Prosecutor’s Office (+7-495-621-5006) and the President of the Russian Federation (+7-495-606-2464), demanding that the case be closed and all charges against Alexei Gaskarov, Maxim Solopov, and other activists dropped.

3. Continue to send letters to such international organizations as the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the UN, asking them to investigate the abuses by Russian authorities and intervene in the case. You can find contact information for these organizations here.

4. Work to get articles published in your local and national media that will inform the broader public about the case of the Khimki hostages and the new threats to civil liberties and the rule of law in Russia. Invite neighbors, friends, and colleagues to your solidarity actions in support of Alexei and Maxim, and ask them to join you in demanding that this fabricated criminal case be closed.

Send information about your solidarity actions as well as copies of letters, faxes, and media publications to our e-mail address: [email protected]

Translations to German, Spanish and French languages are available at http://www.khimkibattle.org, wait for more to come.

(through http://avtonom.org/en/node/13937)

BTW I find it interesting,

BTW I find it interesting, how in international scale, libertarian communist spectrum has been rather passive around this issue, although Gaskarov positions himself explicitly as a libertarian communist (he is a member of Autonomous Action).

Looking at the list of solidarity actions organised around previous action days (http://khimkibattle.org/?p=1036&lang=en), we see that actions abroad are mostly organised by groups like climate activists, social forum spectrum NGO's, trotskists (!) and antifa without clear political orientation.

Could be that libertarian communism around the globe is pretty much a bubble, no matter how fancy libcom.org, and besides IWA and small networked platformist groups, no any libertarian communist movement really exists. BTW IWA was an exception in terms of solidarity, they did wrote a letter to Khimki town prosecutor which made a difference: KRAS published the absurd reply IWA secretariat received and this was small news with overall impact to the campaign.

In general of course sectarian position KRAS picked (support to Gaskarov but not to Solopov) means that they have nobody to work with on this in Russia, and no surprise if that letter writing will be both the first and last efforts from IWA, no matter how pompous declarations KRAS made in September about "getting an international campaign organised"

I get a picture is that libertarian communists in libcom are whining about action in Khimki 28th of July no being pacifist enough, whereas apparently this is not a problem for trotskists, NGOists and other reformists. Although of course opinions of individual syndicalist pacifists in libcom are maybe not reflect main reasons behind the general social anarchist passivity around this issue.

I`m fully desagree wiyh this.

I`m fully desagree wiyh this. The position of KRAS is not sectarian but logical. I don`t think that we as anarchist must make campaigns for authoritarians because we aren`t masochists and we understand very well what they will make against us after his victory. It is very known from history. If any anarchists want to repeat old mistakes - so please without us.

As anarchists, we are against all repressions and prisons. But we make campaigns for people only which is not ennemy od\f anarchism. And we don`t support patriots.

The position of KRAS is shared by comrades from IWA. French CNT-AIT comrades signed also the declaration of KRAS about Khimki: http://www.ainfos.ca/fr/ainfos09058.html

The comrades from Polish ZSP also support this position as I know.

The Secretariat of IWA and the Spanish CNT sent message in support for Gascarov and not for both. The message from Spain and the idiotic answer from Russian juge to this (Gascarov will be in prison until his guiltylessness will be proved) helped much in making public reaction in the case and in the further liberation. It is confirmed from the people of general campaign made for both prisoners.

So thank you very much to all anarchists / anarcho-syndicalists which made protest campaign for comrade Gascarov after our appeal.

personally speaking, i think

personally speaking, i think it was not publically clear what the KRAS position was. i may be wrong (feel free to correct me) but the fact that KRAS supports only one of the two came to my ears only on personal basis. on the other hand, i wouldn't be so strong against support of both, cos i think under other circumastances it could prove ineffective to separate the case (in terms of getting the guys out of jail). and it would be interesting to know Gaskarov's view on this.

oh, and the argument that "what will they do when they come to power", well, i see no connection with this and the case. or is the stalinist guy now about to come to power and wipe out all the anarchists? i am definitely for the historical comparisons and lessons to be taken, but come on, try to keep them in the contexts cos out of context they sound as some dogma one rather laughs at than takes seriously...

To MT: Maxim is not a

To MT: Maxim is not a Stalinist, but he does consider himself as patriot. Alexey is one of his best friends.

To Foristaruso:

Nous sommes atterrés que dans les récentes protestations devant l'administration de Khimki, certaines personnes agissants au nom des "antifascistes" et des "anarchistes", aient lancé des slogans chauvins en défense de la forêt "russe", qu'ils aient déployé des banderoles délibérément écrites en caractères traditionnels slavoniques ("vieux russe", caractéristiques de l'Eglise orthodoxe), et qu'ils aient caractérisé le pouvoir actuel de "puissance occupante", comme on le disait des nazis allemands en 1941. MORT AU NATIONALISME ! NATIONALISTES HORS DES MOUVEMENTS SOCIAUX !

Nice that you have found Polish and French allies in your struggle against politically incorrect fonts (for those libcom readers who missed the story back in August, you may recap here: http://libcom.org/forums/news/anarchists-antifascists-attack-local-adminstration-building-29072010), it is about a time to purge social movements from incorrect fonts, having Maxim in prison would definitely be a necessary first step. I wonder where are other sections of the international - have they been infiltrated by supporters of incorrect fonts?

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