| Around 2,000 people gathered in Moscow's Revolution
Square on 29 July to protest against a government-sponsored bill that
would replace in-kind social benefits with cash payments, RFE/RL's Moscow
bureau reported.
Participating in the meeting were Chernobyl survivors and members of
the Communist, Yabloko, Motherland, and Liberal Democratic parties under
the slogan, "All for One," ITAR-TASS reported. Protesters carried
signs reading "Hands off Benefits!" and "It's Easy to Cancel
[Something], Harder to Resolve It."
Traffic police prevented 16 buses carrying rally participants from entering
Moscow, telling them that a police escort was on the way. However, a number
of the protesters decided not to wait and took the subway instead, Ekho
Moskvy reported.
The bill altering benefits is scheduled for a second reading in the
State Duma on 3 August.
JAC
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