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Opposition plans to continue outdoor protest campaign until June 12

Now the opposition is making efforts to create a new compound in a garden opposite the Stalin-era skyscraper in Barrikadnaya Street

MOSCOW, May 16 (Itar-Tass) — The opposition will continue an outdoor protest campaign in Moscow gardens until June 12, MP Ilya Ponomaryov and Co-chairman of a non-registered party of people's freedom (PARNAS ) Boris Nemtsov told Itar-Tass. Both said they were indignant at the activities of Moscow police, which liquidated the opposition compound in Chistiye Prudy Boulevard area on Wednesday morning.

"I do not understand how we can conduct constructive negotiations with police if on Tuesday we agreed that the opposition would leave the Chistye Prudy zone quietly and peacefully until noon Wednesday,"Ponomaryov said. "It was a police representative, who set the time, while no one asked him to. Should he have told us to go immediately we would have obeyed," Ponomaryov said.

Despite that the protest act will continue until June 12, the MP stressed. In a short while Ponomaryov intends to visit a garden near Barrikadnaya metro where the opposition moved after police had ousted it from Chistiye Prudy.

PARNAS Co-chairman Boris Nemtsov criticized as «unconstitutional» a resolution passed by the Moscow Basmanny District court on Tuesday, which ruled to liquidate the protest compound in Chistiye Prudy. Nemtsov quoted a local policeman as saying that residents of the boulevard area were telling him "that thanks to the opposition's act all the drunkards, drug addicts and freaks had disappeared from the boulevard area." "Nonetheless, the protest act will go on. We will decide depending on the circumstances, where exactly it will be held," Nemtsov stressed.

On May 15 the Moscow Basmanny district court obliged the Moscow authorities to liquidate a compound of protesters called "OccupyAbai" created in Chistiye Prudy Boulevard in Moscow. The Basmanny district court satisfied a lawsuit filed by local residents and ruled a passive attitude of the authorities to participants in the protest compound was "illegal".

The city authorities "must liquidate the compound, establish order and ensure security of citizens," the court said in its resolution.

After Moscow metro opened on Wednesday morning Moscow police liquidated the protest compound in accordance with the Basmanny court resolution. Some of the protesters left the compound on their free will, but more than 20 protesters categorically refused to go away and were detained, pending resolution whether they are subject to administrative punishment.

Now the opposition is making efforts to create a new compound in a garden opposite the Stalin-era skyscraper in Barrikadnaya Street.