City Hall Rejects Opposition Rally Request

By The Moscow Times

Oct. 9, 2012

An opposition leader vowed on Tuesday that a two-day rally to support the online election of a leadership council for the opposition would go ahead despite a refusal by City Hall to authorize the event.

Sergei Udaltsov, who heads the Left Front organization, said the "Election Day" gathering would be held on the weekend of Oct. 20 and 21 on Pushkin Square with or without the consent of the authorities.

"We haven't received an official response from City Hall," he? said? on Twitter. "We will push for the event at the declared spot."

Another opposition leader, Denis Bilunov, said City Hall had rejected the application and suggested an alternative site on Krymsky Val, near the Central House of Artists, with a limit of 2,000 attendees, Interfax reported.

Udaltsov, who first proposed the election in January, had wanted to stage the Oct. 20 and 21 rallies from noon to 6 p.m. The online election for the 45-seat council will be held Oct. 21.

Related articles:

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue