Press release, 2.10.2018

On 3 October, the day when the upper house of parliament will consider the bill on raising the retirement age, the Moscow branch of Yabloko will hold pickets by the Federation Council. The protest action starts at 9:15.

The activists will hold placards with the following slogans:

The pension reform is a robbery
The pension reform is Putin and Medvedev’s shame
The pension reform is United Russia’s shame

Sergei Mitrokhin, member of Yabloko’s Federal Political Committee, commented on the forthcoming action:

“We consistently protest against the reform while it is being considered at all levels. We went to protest against the initiative on 19 June, three days after Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had introduced the bill to the State Duma. I was arrested during the protest action. We were the first to begin the All-Russia campaign agains the pension reform. The political forces joined us later. The concessions that Putin made after the pressure we put on him are not enough. It is unacceptable to raise the retirement age in a country where salaries and life expectancy are so low. The President did not name any economic or demographic reasons motivating the raising of the retirement age. There is no demographic crisis. The work of the government and policy of the President are in crisis. The citizens of Russia do not have to pay for the inefficiency of the government.”

According to Mitrokhin, the next protest action will take place by the Presidential Administration.