Press Release, August 6, 2013

Pro-government activists picketed YABLOKO’s office. First they stood in front of the main entrance, but the police asked them to move to the pavement where the picket was authorized. The pavement is very narrow in this place and it’s difficult to dispart even for 2 people. The authorities never allow YABLOKO to conduct pickets in the places which are three times broader than this one.

The beginning of the picket

The activists wanted to talk to Sergei Mitrokhin in person, but he was away inspecting a park where the former perfect had taken a part of the park away from the citizens. The picketers had to talk to Galina Mikhaleva, First Deputy Chair of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO. The activists said they represented the “Angry citizens” organisation. It turned out that they picketed Navalny’s office before demanding him to remove his candidature in favour of Mitrokhin. They claim there should be only one candidate from opposition. Galina Mikhaleva tried to explain that the more candidates, the less votes will Sobyanin have and that Navalny and Mitrokhin have different electorate, but the activists refused to listen.

Journalists arrived to record the picket which once again proves the picketers were pro-government activists and not an initiative group of young people.

Sergei Mitrokhin wrote on his Twitter:”Pro-government trolls are picketing our office. They claim that I should remove my candidature from the elections. No way!”