The request by the Movement Against Illegal Immigration and the Slavic Union to hold a joint demonstration, dubbed the Russian March, was denied because the venues they sought had either been reserved by other groups or were unsuitable for such a demonstration, City Hall spokesman Leonid Krutakov said.
"There will be a lot of rallies in the city, and [Moscow's] capacity to host them will be filled to the brim," Krutakov said.
The march was to be held Tuesday on the occassion of the People's Unity Day holiday.
Naberezhnaya Tarasa Shevchenko in central Moscow, a traditional place for the Russian March, has been reserved for a similar nationalist rally by the People's Union, headed by Sergei Baburin, Krutakov said.
The Russian March typically attracts hundreds of mostly radical nationalists railing against immigrants and Jews.
Organizers denounced City Hall's refusal to grant them permission for the demonstration. "This is a political decision," said Alexander Belov, head of the Movement Against Illegal Immigration, or DPNI. "I see no common sense in it, as it will further radicalize society."
Slavic Union leader Dmitry Dyomushkin called the decision "illegal" and, together with Belov, vowed to hold the march anyway, beginning at noon near Arbatskaya metro station and proceeding to Red Square.
The theme for the march will be "Russia is a Russian Land," they said.
Alternately, demonstrators could walk silently to Red Square and lay flowers at the monument to Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, who drove Polish invaders out of Moscow in 1612, Belov said.
People's Unity Day was created in 2005 by then-President Vladimir Putin to commemorate the liberation of Moscow by Pozharsky and Minin. The holiday replaced another national holiday, the anniversary of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, which had been celebrated on Nov. 7.
Last year's Russian March, which was sanctioned by city authorities, attracted hundred of demonstrators, most of them teenage boys and elderly people, many of whom were shouting racist slogans and flashing fascist salutes.
The demonstrators chanted things like: "Russia for Russians; Moscow for Muscovites, so get the [expletive] out of here!"; "Beat the Jews!" and "For faith, tsar and motherland!"
Others offerings included: "Let's free the police from the Jewish yoke"; "I'll crap myself for Russia," and "Anti-fascists suck."
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.