NTV Anatomy of Protest

Frame of the film “Anatomy of Protest” on NTV site

On March 15 Russian channel NTV aired the documentary film “Anatomy of Protest”. NTV accused Russian opposition of bribing people to rally in anti-Putin protests.

The film provoked uproar of opposition. Next day the hashtag “НТВлжет” (“NTVlies”) became the leading trend on Twitter in Russia. Russian netizens organized two DDos (“denial of service”) attacks on the main site of NTV and posted thousands of angry comments in its VKontakte page.

Russian Netizens Wish Death to NTV 

From NewsLand:

Something unimaginable is happening on the official Facebook page of NTV. People are outrageous…

NTV caricature

“Hate people? Like lying? Prefer to bend down? Our CORRUPT collective is waiting for you!” Pun on NTV abbreviation in Russian – Nasilie (Coercion) Tupost (Stupidity) Vranyo (Lies)

NTV crew posted there the “investigation” titled “Anatomy of Protest” in which representation of the protest movement in Russia has been turned on its head by PR efforts of the channel’s corrupt journalists. Turns out that it’s people with white ribbons [ed: anti-Putin protesters wear white ribbons] who are being paid for each participation in demonstrations and not the migrant workers from suburbs brought in huge buses to “putings” [puting is a pun – combination of two words “Putin + meeting”, that is demonstration in support of Putin].

More than four thousand comments which appeared in just few hours were full of resentment, anger, and hatred to the channel. In spite of moderator’s request not to swear visitors almost exclusively used profane speech.

Here are some of the more gentle comments:

-  Say “hi” to Goebbels. How can you live after such lies? You cowards shit out by Volodya.

[Note: Volodya – diminutive form of Vladmir, Putin’s first name]

-  Filmed two Russian men and presented them as Americans from the Embassy. Why are you lying in such stupid way? Pictures and videos of Kenyan students with pro-Putin posters were all around Internet – and you present them as opposition. Your Putin anyway won – so why do you disgrace yourself? Your delusion knows no bounds!

And here are some wishes to the workers of NTV:

-  Wish that all of you and your kids… with a bottle of champagne!

[Note: referring to the scandal in Kazan where local cops raped a man with a bottle of champagne]

And calls:

-  People! Unsubscribe from this crap! Let them sit alone in their litter, wish they’ll be shut.

Someone even posted a famous poem by Mayakovsky  ”Who are the whores” on NTV’s page:

[Note: unfortunately, I haven’t found any translation of this poem to English – and not being a poet translated it literally]

-  Not those are whores who for bread give us fuck them from front and behind, God forgive them! But those are whores who lie, suck money and have nothing to give – those are the whores, fuck them all!

More comments:

-  I wonder if those who write these comments also were paid by the State Department? Don’t forget to make an “honest” movie about it as well.

-  Curse you to a death on the bottle of champagne.

DDos Attack #2: Interest to “Anatomy of Protest” Has Reached Its Apogee

And this is from the post published on the official site of NTV:

On Friday evening NTV site suffered another attack. At 21:54 it was attacked by a bot with the number of requests per second reaching 1 million. The attack was organized by a group of anonymous users and has been planned during the course of the day.

Few hours before the action one of [internet] resources issued a call for users to organize an attack on the channel’s website. The organizers wrote detailed instructions describing the exact actions of how to make NTV.Ru stop working. ”Today at 22:00 Moscow time we will kill the site of NTV” – wrote the hackers.

The site restored its activity about two hours after the start of this DDoS-attack.

Earlier in the morning, at about 11:00 Moscow time,  NTV.Ru was subjected to the first DDoS-attack. Number of requests had reached 100 000 per second. The site didn’t work for about an hour. Later another attack was noticed but it was repelled in a matter of few minutes.

It is assumed that all attacks are associated with the broadcast of film “Anatomy of Protest.” Outraged citizens started leaving negative comments about the film and the  channel itself on its site, as well as the social networks of NTV. Opposition was particularly angered by the assertion of film’s authors that some protesters were paid for their participation in demonstrations.

Today NTV reported that it will once again show “Anatomy of Protest” – the film will be aired in primetime on Sunday – March 18, at 20:00. The channel stated that “the film will be repeated due to the numerous requests of viewers”.

The statement caused a new surge of wrath on the web. Offensive comments on the site have been posted until late night and haven’t stopped yet. The peak of users’ activity occurred on Friday afternoon. As result, the excitement turned into a call to organize a rally on March 18 in front of TV Center “Ostankino”. Activists have created a Facebook group, in which they call to take part in this rally.

Other proposals on Internet suggested to gather already on Friday evening. But they found no response: only one woman came to the building on Korolyov Street. Holding a banner in her hands, she stood at the entrance of television station. Security asked her to put down the banner. Police wrote down her passport information.

The police decided to prevent any possible actions, and few buses with law enforcement officials arrived to the building of TV station.

Reactions of Russian netizens

Below is translation of some comments left by Russian netizens below this article on the site of NTV.

fghdfgh43_u:  You should be DOS’ed all day long for what you are doing.

Andrey ivanov:  During 12 years life in Russia has considerably improved, at least for those who work. And those who don’t see it are either fools or blind. Well done, NTV!!

[Note:  12 years is the era of Putin – 8 years as president and 4 years as prime minister]

Yury Kuznetsov (replying to the comment above):  These 12 years the oil price was 100-200 $ vs. 10-20  in Gorbachev -Yeltsin era. Our only friends are backward countries with rigid dictatorship and no civilized country. Education went down (Moscow State University has fallen out of top-100). On Putin’s TV channels there are only detective dramas and soap operas.

There is internet – learn to read the information.

Ananta Shesha:  And couldn’t you “due to the numerous requests of viewers” also change the management of your channel?

Olegs Krisons:  I deleted your channel from my TV.

luka:  Oh, yeah – persecuting Putin’s supporters is normal. Sending migrant workers to pro-Putin’s demonstrations and then uploading their pictures on internet is normal. And after something like this you start screaming.

Andrey Sorokin:  After today’s disgrace you can only shoot yourself. People will hate you F-O-R-E-V-E-R! No wonder that Parfyonov left you.

shaytan batir:  NTV – you are enemies of the people and honest journalism! Burn in hell!

Alexey Bilyk:  I just do not understand why everyone behaves like kids? As if nobody knew that our media works for authorities, and NTV is not the exception. My apologies, NTV, but your channel, indeed shows only stupid TV series, news and other nonsense. And now this disgusting thing. Fu! I will delete your channel!

[Note:  “Fu” is Russian exclamation of disgust]

Ovosch  Ovosch:  “Interest has Reached its apogee”; that’s what is most important – “interest”. Damn the reputation, damn the basic conscience, let’s air disgusting lies and dirt. Most important – to elevate the ratings and serve the boss.

Mikhail Simayev:  NTV – assholes.

Alexey Usachyov:  The informational sphere wouldn’t be affected if someone would simply shut down NTV. One tabloid media more, one less – no particular difference. But at least less shit would flow from the screen…

Andrey Kalinin:  [Let me] explain to illiterate: where are your basic moral and human values? NTV showed the whole truth! (about the anatomy of protest) Are you ashamed to watch the truth? Where the rustle [of money] – there crowds go. Soon they will sell Motherland. Shame for us, comrades, shame!

Dmitry Dark:  You are not professionals, You are disgrace – without motherland and without principles. Your old years you will meet in loneliness and disappointment.  #НТВлжет

[Note:  #НТВлжет is the popular Twitter hashtag meaning “NTV lies”]

p_s boy:  NTV lies and licks.

Sergey Andreev:  Good job, NTV! Nice shot. Show the truth every day! Spectators are delighted!

[Note:  Sergey Andreev commented using some inactive social profile]

C_C (replying to the comment above):  Servey Andreev, you even don’t have an account – you NTV bot…

Alexey Fedyakov:  You will have to answer for everything. Karma is such a thing…

Maxim Andreev:  Dear NTV! I express HUGE gratitude for what you are doing.
I hope all Russians will see your film. See and make the right conclusions. And don’t worry about the threats of all this puppies in the comments. They anyway won’t do anything because they are kids.

Gorod48: GOOD JOB NTV!!! PATRIOTS OF OUR COUNTRY ARE WITH YOU!!!

xcollapsx:  For me NTV died forever. I can just watch sci-fi TV series, where everything is fantasy. Shame on you NTV – you sold yourself.

Sergey Efremov:  NTV is Russia’s channel number one; face of Russian journalism; journalists of NTV are professionals; they are people who deserve respect and admiration for what they showed in “Anatomy of Protest”. NTV is bright light on the background of star-and-stripes shit and orange crap.

[Note:  1. “star-and-stripes shit” refers to American propaganda which is constantly accused to fuel anti-Putin protests  2. “orange crap” refers to protests and revolutionary movement in general]

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