MOSCOW, December 9 (Itar-Tass) —— Moscow authorities on Thursday gave a green light to one rally in the capital city on Sunday, but banned two others and warned organizers of responsibility in case they disobey.
The security department of the mayor’s office said a rally with one thousand participants has been allowed in Bolotnaya Square across the Moskva River in front of the Kremlin. It said the rally is to “publicly express opinion on the necessity of a state policy in the sphere of migration in the interests of the citizens of the country and the significance of a real existence of constitutional rights and freedoms.”
It said the application for the event was filed “by a group of citizens” and identified the organizer as Mamontov V.A. They initially planned to march from Kaluzhskaya Square for a rally in Bolotnaya Square. Other requested itinerary options included a march from Kaluzhskaya Square to downtown Revolution Square and a rally at the monument to Karl Marx, a march to Manezh Square and a rally at the monument to Marshal Zhukov at the Kremlin wall, or a march to Lubyanka Square where the headquarters of the Federal Security Service are located and a rally there.
Moscow authorities suggested either to march in Taras Shevchenko Embankment in front of the government building or to rally in Bolotnaya Square.
“A written agreement was received from Mamontov for only a rally in Bolotnaya Square from 14:00 to 16:00 hours. The event has been approved,” the committee said.
Two other applications were turned down, it said.
The first came from “a group of citizens organized by Feoktistov D.V.” who applied for a march on Saturday from Prospect Mira metro station for a rally in Suvorov Square northwest of the center of the city. There were several other requested itinerary options and the demonstrators planned “to demand a ban on the construction of mosques in Moscow, on the holding of mass Muslim religious events, to introduce a visa regime with Central Asian nations and TransCaucasia, and protect the constitutional rights of citizens.” The number of participants was estimated at 1500.
The committee said yet another application came from “a group of citizens organized by Borovikov G.I.” who planned to march along downtown Tverskaya Street that leads to the Kremlin and rally in Pushkin Square. Other requested venues included Manezh Square and a rally at the monument to Marshal Zhukov where participants planned “to publicly express opinion on the necessity of a state policy in the sphere of migration in the interests of the citizens of the country and the significance of a real existence of constitutional rights and freedoms.” The number of participants was estimated at 2000.
The committee said the applications were turned down as the organizers did not respond to the proposed change of the venues to Bolotnaya Square or Taras Shevchenko Embankment. “The department did not receive by the deadline stipulated by law a written answer on whether they accept the proposals or not. Therefore, the organizers are not entitled to hold public events,” it said.
It added the organizers had been warned they will be brought “to responsibility according to existing rules” in case they stage unpermitted actions.