City Hall has turned down opposition requests to hold a rally on central squares on March 5 — the day after the presidential vote.
The opposition sought permission for an event on Manezh Square next to the Kremlin or on Lubyanskaya Ploshchad in front of the Federal Security Service building. The city government has offered alternative locations outside the city center, including Bolotnaya Ploshchad, the site of two opposition rallies in recent months, and Poklonnaya Gora.
Opposition leaders including Alexei Navalny have called on demonstrators to rally on Lubyanskaya Ploshchad on March 5 in defiance of City Hall's refusal.
"Only Lubyanka! Only hardcore!" Navalny wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
A Facebook group devoted to opposition rallies conducted a survey on Tuesday in which 76 percent of those polled — or about 4,500 people — said they would attend an unsanctioned event on Lubyanskaya Ploshchad on March 5 instead of a possible sanctioned rally on Bolotnaya Ploshchad.
City Hall also refused to sanction an opposition demonstration on Novy Arbat on March 8 or 9 or for a march on major thoroughfare Kutuzovsky Prospekt on March 10, Left Front head Sergei Udaltsov said Tuesday on Twitter.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
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 every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
