The City Hall has received a request to hold a march in central Moscow on Feb. 2 in support of the defendants of the so-called "Bolotnaya case" charged with participation in riots during an opposition protest rally in May 2012.
Head of Moscow's regional security department Alexei Mayorov said Thursday that the request had been received and that authorities could give an answer by Friday, RIA Novosti reported.
He added that organizers have asked the city authorities for a permission to march along the street Tverskaya Ulitsa to Manezhnaya Square near the Kremlin. The expected number of participants at the event is 30,000 people, organizers said.
The the rally on Bolotnaya Ploshchad on May 6, 2012, which was approved by city authorities, turned into clashes with police during which dozens of people were injured and over 400 were detained. Authorities later opened criminal cases against 28 protesters on charges of taking part in public disorder, though some defendants went free under a president-sponsored amnesty in December.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
