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Opposition plans to organize March of Millions in Moscow on September 15

They planned to march from Tverskaya Zastava Square (near the Belorussky railway station) along Tverskaya Street to Borovitskaya Square, where they plan to hold a rally
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, August 31 (Itar-Tass) — Opposition activists filed an application on Friday to organize a so-called "March of Millions" in Moscow on September 15.

One of the organizers, a member of the federal political council of the Solidarity movement, Pyotr Tsarkov told Itar-Tass that they informed in the application they planned to march from Tverskaya Zastava Square (near the Belorussky railway station) along Tverskaya Street to Borovitskaya Square, where they plan to hold a rally. The expected number of participants is 50,000.

The application was submitted without problems, without incidents. Solidarity activists were on duty near the mayor's office all the night and at 08:00 Moscow time were the first to put in an application.

Representatives of one of the youth movements who earlier said they intended to organize their rally on Bolotnaya Square (the opposition's traditional gathering site) did not appear near the mayor's office on Friday morning.

One of the "March" organizers, Left Front coordinator Sergei Udaltsov told Itar-Tass that the rally would make also social, but not only political, demands.

Aside from the traditional political demands – for early presidential and parliamentary elections, against political repressions, release of political prisoners – social demands will be put forth against the uncurbed growth of utilities tariffs, insufficient financing for science, education, public health and culture and abridgement of rights of employees and workers' unions, he said, noting that the liberal part of the organizing committee agreed to put forward social demands.

The organizers expect the Moscow mayor's office to answer within three working days. Tsarkov does not rule out that it may be followed by talks to correct the route.

Those who submitted applications for previous actions after the December 2011 elections are replaced with others this time.

After the amendments to the Law on Assemblies, Rallies, Demonstrations, Marches and Picketing were adopted, citizens who have been brought to account for administrative offences during a year are not allowed to be organizers of public events.

The activists who made the application for the September 15 march are Russian Public Chamber member Yelena Lukyanova, Sergei Davidis, Yevgenia Tretyakova and Pyotr Tsarkov.

Sergei Udaltsov and Nadezhda Mityushkina, who earlier traditionally submitted applications for such actions and who are under the restrictions now, this time are named in the application as "negotiators for talks with the Moscow government".