A group of hard-currency mortgage-holders used force to enter the Moscow office of the United Russia political party, the Meduza news agency reported Tuesday.
About 150 activists gathered at the office entrance, their representative Alexander Prikhodko told the RBC news agency.
Office security blocked the entrance and let five people enter at a time, but the mortgage-holders tore down a fence and entered the hall of the building, Meduza reported.
"People are at a boiling point now. The problem is only getting worse and no results are visible,” said Prikhodko.
State Duma Deputy Khozh Magomed Vakhayev met with the activists and promised to carefully consider their appeal.
The protesters demanded that they be allowed pay back their mortgages at the rate of 39 rubles per dollar, the deputy head of the central executive committee of United Russia Pavel Klimovsky told RBC.
Klimovsky told RBC that the activists appeared to calm down after their meeting with the State Duma deputy.
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.
