City Hall Bans Protest March Near Kremlin

Moscow city authorities have refused to allow the Russian opposition to hold a proposed protest march in downtown Moscow on June 12, Russia Day, suggesting a different route for the action, the Left Front movement’s leader, Sergei Udaltsov, said on Wednesday.

Russian opposition activists applied on Monday to hold a 50,000-strong “March of Millions” from the Belorussky railway station along Tverskaya Street to Borovitskaya Square, which abuts the Kremlin walls, to protest the results of parliamentary and presidential elections.

“The Mayor’s Office has replied that the march along this route cannot be allowed as some festive events will be staged around the Kremlin and heavy traffic is expected along Tverskaya Street on that day,” Udaltsov told RIA Novosti.

He said the authorities suggested another route for the march, outside Sadovoye Koltso (Garden Ring).

“We responded right away that this route was unacceptable as we always insisted that the action must be held within the Gardern Ring, in the heart of the city,” the opposition leader said, adding that the organizers of the march were ready to continue negotiations with the authorities.

RIA Novosti has been unable so far to get a comment on the issue from the Mayor’s Office.

A similar rally on May 6 ended in violence and clashes with police when the protesters tried to break through police lines and move the event closer to the Kremlin, which had not been agreed with the city authorities.

 

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