Alexander Kobrinsky, deputy of the Legislative Assembly
of St. Petersburg from the YABLOKO faction, sent a letter
to St.Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko in connection
with dispersing of the "Snow Battle" flash mob organised
by young people in Marsovo Polye (Champ de Mars), St.Petersburg.
St.Petersburg police dispersed several hundreds of young
people who gathered for a traditional snowball fights at Marsovo
Polye on January 6. Several people were detained by police.
In his letter YABLOKOs MP asked the Governor to give an
answer whether he would go on with "tightening of the
screws" and whether the principle "more than three
people make a crowd" would become fundamental for St.Petersburg
dwellers.
Alexander Kobrinsky urged the Governor to give an assessment
to the actions of the police and demand from the heads of
the St. Petersburg interior to change their attitude to the
city residents who gathered to play snowballs.
"Such harmless actions are held without any problems
and permissions all over Europe," Kobrinsky wrote. In
confirmation of his words Kobrinsky set the Governor a reproduction
painting by Vasily Surikov "Taking a Snow Town"
(1891), depicting ancient Russian fun game, noting that the
same game was banned by St.Petersburg police three days ago.
Vasily Surikov "Taking a Snow Town"
"I think if a goal is set to harm the reputation of St.
Petersburg in Russia and in the world, than nothing could
be better that the police actions in St.Petersburg,"
said Alexander Kobrinsky.
YABLOKO deputy also recollected that was not the first case
of inappropriate actions of law enforcement officers. On June
5, 2012, police detained several people who were drawing in
chalk on the pavement by the Mariinsky Palace. On June 10,
a flash mob "The Battle of Pillows" on the Champ
de Mars was stopped and about a dozen of participants were
detained. On October 1, six people were detained for drawings
on the pavement in front of the military commissariat of the
Leningrad region (Fontanka Embankment, 90).
The cases of administrative offences against these citizens
were dismissed by courts, said Kobrinsky. But the city's
reputation has suffered an enormous damage, now the situation
in St. Petersburg is associated that in totalitarian countries:
"more than three people make an unpermitted crowd".
He also noted that the law enforcement can not base its action
on the norms of the administrative law here, "The norms
in such public events are so vague and indefinite that all
depends on the practices of law enforcement here".
See also:
Human
Rights
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