In Support of Richard Stallman

Welcome Back, Richard Stallman

Published on September 29, 2021.  Last updated November 11, 2023.

Update March 3, 2022. Free software activists and supporters of Richard Stallman from Ukraine have been sending us messages and letters to share their sad experience with the war. We have published some of them.

Starting from March 2020, Richard Stallman's speeches in person had to be suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions. After the restrictions were reduced, he held his first in-person speech in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 18, 2021.

During that speech, he was welcomed back with applause twice:

1. The audience interrupted Stallman with applause when he mentioned he is back on the FSF Board of Directors. #back-on-board

2. People reacted with applause when RMS observed that this was his first presentation of St. iGNUcius since 2019 (he presents it at some in-person speeches). #back-in-person

These welcome-back reactions by an Ukrainian physical audience are to confirm what the community at large had already expressed in numerous comments, articles, and testimonies throughout the Internet.

The letter of support, with 6,876 signatures to date, shows a large number of non-American supporters. It provides further evidence that the international free software community, including minority groups, rejects the defamation and smear campaign launched against Richard Stallman in the United States.

A comment from an attendee:

Great lecture. A wonderful experience to see and hear Richard live. A very educated, consistent and rational person. By Kira, translated from Russian (Archived).

Worth noting the number of female attendees that can be seen in the full video.