Support The Moscow Times!

'Anti-Maidan' Rally in Downtown Moscow Gets Green Light

Moscow authorities have granted permission to pro-Kremlin demonstrators to hold an Anti-Maidan rally in the city center on Feb. 21.

The rally, meant to protest the ousting of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych last February, has been given the go-ahead to host up to 10,000 demonstrators, state news agency RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.

"They will move along Ulitsa Petrovka and then end at Ploshchad Revolyutsii with a rally," Alexei Maiorov, head of Moscow's municipal security department, was cited as saying.

The event will be held on the first anniversary of Yanukovych's forced departure from his country's capital, having been toppled after months of protests by pro-European demonstrators on Kiev's Independence Square. The Anti-Maidan rally will be held under the slogan: "We won't forget, we won't forgive," according to RIA Novosti.

The Anti-Maidan movement was established in mid-January with the proclaimed objective of preventing popular uprisings like Ukraine's Maidan movement from taking place in Russia.

The newly minted group features many high-profile leaders, including Alexander "the Surgeon" Zaldostanov, leader of patriotic biker gang, the Night Wolves.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

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.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more