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Opposition to hold March of Millions action in Moscow

The march will begin at 14:00 MSK from the Pushkinsky cinema

MOSCOW, September 15 (Itar-Tass) — The opposition will hold the March of Millions action in Moscow on Saturday.

One of the organisers of the March, coordinator of the Left Front Sergei Udaltsov told Itar-Tass that during the action it is planned to put forward not only political, but also social demands. “In addition to the traditional political slogans - for early presidential and parliamentary elections, against political repression, for the release of political prisoners, also social demands will be put forward – against the continuous growth of utility tariffs, inadequate funding of science, education, health and culture, infringement of the rights of labour collectives and trade unions,” he said. Udaltsov said that “the liberal part of the organising committee of the protest action also agreed” with putting forward of social demands.

The Moscow mayor’s office permitted the action with the participation of 25 thousand people. The march will begin at 14:00 MSK from the Pushkinsky cinema. The demonstrators will march from the intersection of Strastnoi Boulevard, with Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street on the Strastnoi, Petrovsky, Rozhdestvensky, Sretensky Boulevard to Turgenev Square.

A meeting will be held starting from 16:00 MSK on the roadway of Sakharov Avenue from the outer part of the Garden Ring road.

People will be admitted to the event through 59 frames of metal detectors. At the beginning of the march, 46 stationary metal detector frames will be installed on the roadway of Naryshkinsky Pane from the corner of 34, Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street, to the corner at 9, B. Putinkovsky Lane. The admission will also be possibly organised through a metal detector frame at 15, Bolshoi Putinkovsky Lane.

In addition, people will be able to pass to the meeting through four metal detector frames in an underground pedestrian crossing near 36, Sakharov Avenue, as well as two metal detectors to be installed across Sakharov Avenue from the corner of house No 27 to house No 40/21, and through six frames set across Sakharov Avenue from a construction site fence to the corner of the house at 11, Sadovaya-Spasskaya Street.

As many as 7,000 policemen and internal troops servicemen will be ensuring law and order during the action.

Earlier, one of youth organisations announced the intention to stage in Sretensky Boulevard on September 15 a March of Billions in order “to stop the March of Millions” with crosses, daggers and silver bullets.” Spokesman for the Moscow mayor’s office Vasily Oleinik told Itar-Tass that the city authorities have not received any notification about the March of Billions. “If some people try to gather for an unsanctioned event, it will be stopped,” Oleinik warned. For their part, the organisers of the March of Millions, Sergei Udaltsov and State Duma member Ilya Ponomarev told Itar-Tass that they do not believe that the threat is serious. “I hope the police will be able to maintain order,” Udaltsov added.