Hundreds Rally in Samara

Sep. 27, 2010

About 5,000 Samara residents rallied on the central Kuibyshev Square on Saturday to protest what they called electioneering by the ruling United Russia party, Interfax reported, citing organizers.

Local police, however, put the number of participants at 1,000.

The event, held under the slogan “United Russia to the Trash Can,” called on people not to vote for the party, said Lyudmila Kuzmina, one of the organizers who heads a local consumers rights watchdog, Interfax reported.

All opposition candidates were denied registration ahead of next month’s mayoral elections in Samara, Kuzmina said. Most of the rejected candidates participated in the rally, she added.

Samara is one of the few big cities not controlled by United Russia. Its incumbent mayor, Viktor Tarkhov, is a member of the Just Russia party.

(MT)

… 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