Press release, 18.03.2015

The activists of the Smart Power movement, a group of Grigory Yavlinsky and YABLOKO’s supporters, picketed the Legislative Assembly of St.Petersburg with a placard “Legislative Assembly mustn’t limit the journalists work”. The activists joined the flashmob conducted by the journalists against the restrictions of the journalists’ work in the city parliament.

By this actions the activists addressed to the deputies and society with a request to abolish the discrediting “innovations” which hinder the journalists’ activity in the Legislative Assembly.
According to the new working time provisions of the Legislative Assembly, the journalists must check in at the information department of the Legislative Assembly when entering the building, inform the staffers about the purpose and length of their visit beforehand, the journalists will be allowed to move within the building under guidance of the officials.

The Smart Power movement claim that these changes are unacceptable and demand from the city authorities to veto the initiative which breaks all laws and norms.

The activists note that the legislative power is by definition the power of people which should represent the people’s interests and be subordinate to the citizens. And the journalists aim at covering the deputies work and putting obstacles in their way is unacceptable.