Freedom Zone London festival

On July 12, a festival in support of political prisoners took place in London, organized by Freedom Zone and the Russian Democratic Society. It's time to look back at the results!

The festival raised £1,350 (€1,585) to support political prisoners. These funds will go toward care packages, prison visits, legal representation, and other essentials without which the already difficult lives of prisoners would be even harder. Thank you for your support!

Three auction lots sold for more than £100, with the biggest success being Ekaterina Schulmann's necklace, which sold for £150. We were delighted to see festival attendees appreciate the auction items so highly, and to see so many people stopping by the food and merchandise stalls. Together with direct donations, these proceeds helped us raise the total amount mentioned above.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our wonderful speakers, who made the day truly unique. Ivan Philippov spoke about the worldview of pro-war Z-activists, Alexandra Arkhipova and Yury Lapshin presented an interactive lecture-game on the Russian state's use of linguistic manipulation, and Boris Nadezhdin joined us online for a discussion about politics in Russia. We hope these important conversations will continue to be heard in London and beyond.

We believe that knowledge will overcome ignorance, and dialogue will overcome silence. A festival filled with lectures, conversations, and support for those in need is a reminder of what a society free from censorship and authoritarian pressure can look like. That is what freedom zone is

.

We look forward to seeing you at our future festivals and events!

Photos: exposingtheordinary and andmysoulistornapart