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Special working group to choose place for Moscow’s “Hyde Park”

Gorbenko said the Moscow city authorities plan no changes to the federal law on rallies

MOSCOW, March 12 (Itar-Tass) —— A special working group will choose a place for Moscow’s “Hyde Park” where mass rallies can be held.

The group will include politicians and public figures, Deputy Moscow Mayor Alexander Gorbenko said on Monday, March 12.

The authorities are now engaged in negotiations with political parties and movements that will delegate their representatives to the working group. “We have not moved any further so far,” Gorbenko said.

At the same time, he stressed that there are enough mass media resources in the world and in Moscow for anyone to express his position and range from official Channel One to Dozhd (Rain) television channel.

Gorbenko said the Moscow city authorities plan no changes to the federal law on rallies.

“The mayor of Moscow has so far not given any order to amend Law No. 54 on Rallies,” he said.

“The fact that such information has been circulated by mass media for two days is linked to people’s irritation with rallies,” Gorbenko said.

Some mass media have cited highly placed sources in the Moscow city administration as saying that the city authorities are considering amendments to the rallies law.

Earlier, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the creation of the Russian version of London’s Hyde Park “is not a simple matter”.

“There must be special federal legislation that would allow us to do this. And there must be public consent,” he said, adding that the city authorities are ready to provide “one, two, three or ten such places”.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin earlier suggested choosing a place in Moscow where people could rally and express their views.

President Dmitry Medvedev proposed this idea back in 2009. At that time, the city government led by Yuri Luzhkov offered a place in the Gorky Park.