| The fourth March in Support of St.Petersburg took place
in St.Petersburg on October 9. According to the organizers,
about 3,000 people came to this action which was conducted
in a form of rally-concert.
The action was initiated by Zhivoi Gorog (Living City) movement,
Civil Initiatives Movement, St.Petersburg YABLOKO and members
of St.Petersburg branch of the Society for Preservation of
Historical and Cultural Heritage (VOOPIiK). Other participants
of the action were St.Petersburg Youth YABLOKO, the Federation
of Social Youth, United People’s Front, the Women Voters’
League, environmental human rights centre Bellona, EKOM, the
Okhta Curve, Let Us Preserve Yuntolovo, For the Protection
of the Vassiliyevsky Island, Bashne.Net, Solidarity, Defence,
Russian People’s Democratic Union, St.Petersburg Human Rights
Council, Association of Small and Medium Businesses, different
initiative groups and many other.
The key topic was the protest against building of the Okhta
Centre which will spoil the historical environment of the
city. The participants also called to preserve the historical
centre of St.Petersburg and protect parks and gardens in the
city. Many participants spoke about the need to return elections
of St.Petersburg Governor and called the present Governor
Valentina Matviyenko to resign.
St.Petersburg YABLOKO leaders Mikhail Amosov, Boris Vishnevsky,
Natalia Evdokimova and Nikolai Rybakov, heads of regional
branches of the People’s Front and Russian People’s Democratic
Union Olga Kurnosova and Andrei Pivovarov, MP and head of
the regional branch of The Just Russia Oksana Dmitiyeva, deputies
of the Legislative Assembly Sergei Malkov and Alexei Kovalyov
made speeches at the rally. Their demands were supported by
musians Yuri Shevchuk and Mikhail Novitsky, actor Igor Sklyar
and director Yuri Mamin. Ludmila Elyashova, a survivor of
Lenigrad’s blockade during the Second World War spoke at the
rally.
Many participants of the rally prepared special information
stands. YABLOKO’s activists brought a city map with markings
in place of ruined historical buildings. Activists of the
Youth YABLOKO made an Okhta Tour out of air balloons. At the
end of the action they let the “tour” go and it left St.Petersburg.
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Human
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Environmental
Protection
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