Pro-Ukraine protesters have occupied the central London mansion belonging to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who was sanctioned by the U.K. government last week.
Pictures spread across social media Monday morning showing protesters standing atop the balcony of the Belgrave Square home with flags that read, “The property has been liberated” and “Putin go f*** yourself.”
“Russian Oligarchs: You occupy Ukraine, we occupy you,” a statement issued from the occupied mansion and shared via the NFA Anti-Fascists read.
“By Occupying this mansion, We want to show solidarity for the people on Ukraine but also for the people of Russia who never agreed to this madness,“ the statement also said. “We want to show our sympathy to the brave protesters who have been in the belly of the beast, and suffer unjust imprisonment for staying up to Putin.”
The protesters called U.K. elites “Putin’s minions” and said that “the mansion will serve as a refugee support, for people of Ukraine and people of all nations and ethnicity.”
— NFA-AF (@nfa_antifascist) March 14, 2022
The Metropolitan Police were called to the $32.5 million home at about 1 a.m., according to the Daily Mail.
“Officers attended and found that a number of people had gained entry and hung banners from upstairs windows,” a police spokesperson said. “Officers remain at the location.”
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Deripaska, who is the grandson by marriage to late Russian leader Boris Yeltsin, was sanctioned Thursday with an asset freeze and banned from making transactions with U.K. individuals and businesses. He said there is “not a single fact” to support the sanctions against him.
“Since there’s not a single fact in support of Boris’ cabinet’s fantasies it will be for the courts and the police to decide the future for all in this sanctions story,” Deripaska wrote on Twitter on Friday.
Since there’s not a single fact in support of Boris’ cabinet’s fantasies it will be for the courts and the police to decide the future for all in this sanctions story.
— Oleg Deripaska (@DeripaskaOleg) March 11, 2022
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Deripaska has called for peace after Russia invaded Ukraine more than two weeks ago.
“I remain committed to my belief that an immediate ceasefire and peace agreement as soon as humanly possible is the best and only solution to stop this madness in Ukraine,” Deripaska said.
The oligarch has also been sanctioned by the United States since 2018 over allegations connecting him to cyberattacks and election interference.
