Fallout From Russia - Ukraine War: London Protestors Squatted At A Russian Oligarch’s Mansion

Protestors squatted in the Central London mansion of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska in an effort to reclaim property for Ukrainian refugees. By late Monday, the protest had ended with eight arrests, according to BBC News.

The squatters, who were pictured on the balcony of the Belgrave Square mansion, call themselves the London Makhnovists. They are named after Nestor Makhno, a Ukrainian anarchist from the early 20th century.

From the balcony, they had held protest signs, one of which read: “this property has been liberated," while another read, "Putin go f--- yourself." The protestors said the mansion has too many rooms to count.

The U.K. had sanctioned Deripaska last week. The aluminum magnate has been under U.S. sanctions since 2018 for his alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Deripaska is the founder of EN+ and six other businesses.

“[Home secretary] Priti Patel, don't worry, we did your job — we did the housing, just send them here, we did the housing. Refugees welcome! We're demanding this property belongs to Ukrainian refugees. Their houses have been destroyed and this guy [Deripaska] supported the war,” the protesters said, according to BBC News.

The protestors had said the mansion would serve as a center for refugee support and that they would squat at other oligarch properties.