Police in Nizhny Novgorod have asked the organizers of a march honoring slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov to buy metal security fences at their own expense, according to Arkady Galker, one of the event’s planners. The demonstration is scheduled for Feb. 27, on the second anniversary of Nemtsov's assassination.
Galker, who chairs a local branch of the Solidarnost opposition movement, told the television station Dozhd that the city issued organizers a police report recommending that demonstrators pay for a metal barricade to fence off the perimeter of its marching route.
Apparently, Nizhny Novgorod’s police don’t have any fences left to offer; they were forced to surrender them all to the National Guard last year, when Vladimir Putin reorganized Russian law enforcement by creating an entirely new federal agency, Galker says.
The recommendations by the city’s police are reportedly based on Russian federal laws on public demonstrations, which set certain expectations for organizers. The organizers for the Nemtsov march in Nizhny Novgorod, however, complain that they’re being asked to do the job of police. Galker says his group will demand the full protection of local law enforcement.
In any event, the march has already been approved by the city and should go ahead at the end of the month, fences or not.
Boris Nemtsov, an anti-Kremlin opposition leader and former Russian prime minister, was fatally shot in the back in a drive-by shooting while walking across Moscow's Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge on Feb. 27, 2015.
This year, Moscow will hold its memorial march for Nemtsov on Feb. 26.
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.
