| Dear colleagues,
On March 31 the State Duma adopted in the first reading the draft law
"On Gatherings, Meetings, Demonstrations and Picketing", aimed
at eliminating the rights of citizens granted by Article 31 of the RF
Constitution. Based on this law the authorities can refuse to hold any
public gathering.
Freedom of assembly is one of the first victories of the Russian democracy.
At present we can be deprived of this our conquest. The authorities have
already done away with the independence of the large mass media and discredited
the institution of free elections. Today civil society has become its
target. The space of our freedom has been shrinking.
We cannot be silent any more and cannot retreat any further. The way
of retreat leads only to the past. Bureaucracy has gone too far and should
be stopped. It threw a challenge to civil society and should get a worthy
response.
It is high time to defend democracy with all constitutional methods.
The Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO, together with a number of human
rights and ecological organisations, initiates a public campaign "Civil
Society Against a Police State." During this campaign YABLOKO will
call on citizens to oppose arbitrary rule.
Marches in protection of democracy, civil rights and liberties will take
place as part of this campaign on May 1, 2004.
We call on you to participate in this campaign. Join the work of organisational
committees. Come and bring everyone you can with you.
Only together can we protect our freedom!
Tel 780-30-10 will help you to find us and each other. (Coordinator Alexei
Navalny.)
Chairman of the party
Grigory Yavlinsky
See also:
Freedom
of Assembly
| 