A theatrical action against toughening of penalties for
violations at the rallies took place in Novopushkinsky Garden
on May 27. Potential “violators” were implementing compulsory
community services under the sounds of military marches of
Hitler's Germany without waiting for the final adoption of
the draft law toughening the penalties by the ruling United
Russia faction. Half an hour after the start of the action,
its organiser Pyotr Ivanchikov was detained by police for
alleged non-conformity of the declared topic of the rally
with the actual one. "Muscovites complain about the Nazi
marches," a police lieutenant told the journalists.
While the protesters were filling Novopushkinsky Garden,
YABLOKO activists wearing prisoners' hats broomed the pavement
under the sounds of military marches from Hitler's Germany.
"We want to show that the State Duma is going to adopt
a law natural in a totalitarian state,” said YABLOKO leader
Sergei Mitrokhin opening the meeting. “Under the clamour of
possible reduction of fines from 1.5 million roubles to 300,000
roubles, the State Duma adopted a resolution listing these
monstrous amendments,” he noted.
Participants of the action demonstrated disproportionate
punishment for “violations” that would be introduced by the
new law. They could have been convicted to compulsory community
services only for wearing the Guy Fawkes masks. In addition,
each of them wore a plaque innumerating other “aggravating
circumstances”, such as "walking across Moscow",
"trampling the grass," and "wearing a white
ribbon”.
"One of the new reasons for the prosecution is [participation]
in a simultaneous gathering of citizens in public places bearing
characteristics of a mass-scale public event,” Mitrokhin said.
YABLOKO carefully studied the international experience and
found a similar norm in the Norwegian legislation in the period
of the Nazi occupation. However, Nazis had a different criterion
[of a mass-scale public event] starting from five people,”
he added.
To emphasize the similarity of the amendments initiated by
the ruling United Russia with the fascist law, the text of
the amendments sounded from the loud speakers in Russian and
German under the Adolf Hitler march.
The music was the formal reason for the detention of Pyotr
Ivanchikov, organizer of the rally. When Mitrokhin finished
his speech, police Lt. Col. Sergei Pavlov came up to the sound
engineer and ordered to switch off the music. The police detained
Ivanchikov. "I have detained the rally organiser. They
had applied for a rally on the election of the Moscow Mayor,
and here we hear some Nazi marches, Muscovites do not like
this,” the colonel reported to his boss.
Sergei Mitrokhin called the actions of the police not legitimate,
because the law did not prohibit changes in the topic of a
rally. However, other speakers spoke about the need to elect
the Mayor of Moscow (Ed. Being initially an elected post,
the Moscow Mayor has been recently appointed by the President
of Russia) and call the Moscow City Duma elections.
"It's high time to drive the this illegitimate Moscow
City Duma to hell,” said Dmitry Kataev, one of the Solidarity
leaders. He called the protesters to seek re-election of the
Moscow parliament and increase the number of deputies to 110
from the present 45.
Vladimir Milov, leader of the Democratic Choice party, promised
to the rally that a united list of candidates from the democratic
forces will be prepared for the next election to the Moscow
parliament, and this list "will have all chances to take
control of the city parliament”. "Rogues and thieves,
even taking into account the fraud, obtained less than 50
per cent of the vote at the recent elections, which means
that the united opposition has a chance to take control of
the Moscow City Duma," Vladimir Milov said. If this happens,
then all restrictions on street protests and nomination of
candidates for the post of the Moscow Mayor will be abolished,
he promised.
Yevgeny Alyokhin, one of the organisers of the White Fashion
Show at the Red Square (when all the protesters were wearing
something white instead of simply wearing white ribbons),
reminded the protesters that YABLOKO had announced nomination
of Sergei Mitrokhin to the post of the Moscow Mayor. He called
the rally to support this candidate.
After the end of the rally Sergei Mitrokhin and Ilya Ponomaryov,
State Duma deputy, went to the local police station where
policemen took Pyotr Ivanchikov.
Photos and
videos from the rally
On June 5, when the draft law will be examined by the Duma
in the second and possibly the third reading, YABLOKO will
repeat the
walking protests by the State Duma (as promotion of its
picketing which will be held at 11.00 a.m. by the monument
to Karl Marx).
The walking protest will begin at 9:00 a.m. The participants
will gather at the exit from Okhotny Ryad metro station at
the corner of Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street and Okhotny Ryad.
See also:
Rally
against raising of penalties for rallies. Press Release,
May 22, 2012
Mitrokhin
released without charges, other activists will stand before
court. Press Release, May 22, 2012.
Sergei
Mitrokhin and activists detained at the "walking protests"
by the State Duma
Press Release, May 22, 2012.
Youth
YABLOKO to picket the State Duma protesting against raising
of fines for rallies
Press Release, May 17, 2012.
Yavlinsky
called on the "walking protestors" in St. Petersburg
to set political goals. Interfax. May 15, 2012
Human
Rights
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