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Police acted legally in dispersing election result protesters

The requirements of the law on the procedure to hold mass events are transparent and clear, and must be strictly complied with - Gryzlov

MOSCOW, December 8 (Itar-Tass) — Speaker of the 5th Duma lower house of the Russian parliament Boris Gryzlov defended the actions by police to protect public order in the past few days, saying they were "legitimate and necessary."

"Of course, all citizens have the right to express their own opinions, including through rallies and participation therein," the speaker told reporters on Thursday, but ignoring the rights of a majority of the population and the country’s' law is inadmissible.

"The requirements of the law on the procedure to hold mass events are transparent and clear, and must be strictly complied with," he went on to say, "moreover, none of the participants in a rally is allowed to make extremist statements or call for violent change of government."

"Therefore, the actions to protect public order police have been taking in the past few days were not only legitimate but also necessary," Gryzlov underlined, adding that law-enforcement personnel acted professionally, responsibly and effectively, thus ensuring public order and the safety of citizens.