From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 4/20/2007 4:23 AM
19.4.2007 14:21 MSK
"Dissenters’ March" in Moscow
RUSSIA, Moscow. On April 14, in Moscow, the movement "Another Russia" attempted to conduct a "Marsh of Dissent". The city sent approximately 9 thousand police officers, OMON, and soldiers to prevent the normal conducting of the march. Scores of demonstrators were detained.

On Pushkinskaya Square, on the spot where the "March of Dissent" was set to begin, United Civil Front leader Gary Kasparov, the leader of the Advance Guard of Red Youth (AKM) Sergey Udaltsov, leader the National -Democratic Union of Young People, coordinator of the Defense movement, Julia Malyshev, leader of the youth movement YES, Maria Gaydar, leader of the youth movement of Yabloko, Ilya Yashin, and journalists Valery Panyushkin and Sergey Parkhomenko were detained. Two National Bolsheviks were also detained: photo-correspondents of the newspaper "OGF" (United Civil Front), Stanislav Reshetnev and Vitalius Konstantinov. The Defense movement reports that not long before the beginning of the march, Defense activist Anton Grishanov was detained. There was an attempt to detain Mikhail Kasyanov, but guards protected him. Furthermore, the police detained young people "for passing through a prohibited area".

Gary Kasparov, Valery Panyushkin, and Mary Gaydar were taken to the Presnenskoye UVD. Ilya Yashin was taken to the Tver UVD. Among participants in the protest action were Union of Right Forces (SPS) leader Nikita Belich, Gosduma Deputy Vladimir Ryzhkov, and former adviser to President Putin Andrey Illarionov. National Bolshevik Party (NBP) leader Eduard Limonov did not appear at the march and rally. As reported by radio Echo Moscow, the press- secretary of the NBP said Limonov was simply late at the beginning of action then attended to other matters.

Pushkinskaya Square was surrounded by OMON and police. On adjacent streets stood scores of vehicles carrying soldiers. Exits from the Pushkinskaya Square metro were closed. Paramilitary police stood on Tverskaya Street on both sides from Pushkinskaya Square to Triumfalnaya Square. The police blocked motor transport from alleys connecting Tverskaya Street with the Bolshaya Dmitrovka. The entrance to Bolshaya Bronnaya was blocked by trucks.

The oppositional coalition Another Russia planned to begin the "March of Dissent" at 12:00 noon on Pushkinskaya Square. Authorities forbad the March, and allowed only a rally in Turgenevskaya Square. According to Kasparov, OMON attacked citizens of Russia, who "simply undertook to walk along the streets of the capital".

Several hundred participants in the march moved along Strastny Boulevard, and then Rozhdestvensky Boulevard, to Turgenevskaya Square. After blocking the flow of traffic, participants in the march from NBP and AKM, under the Red Banners of their organizations, chanted "We need another Russia!", "Russia - without Putin!", "Revolution!", "Freedom for political prisoners!". Rozhdestvensky Boulevard was blocked by OMON soldiers. Several men were detained.

A sanctioned meeting took place on Chistoprudny Boulevard, in which about a thousand people participated. Coming out at the meeting, the leader of For a New Socialism (RNDS) said that "Another Russia" wants to attain victory by constitutional methods, but the authorities are preventing this. AKM activist Shalimov stated that OMON had trampled the constitution and called for revolution. Victor Shenderovich noted that the authorities were not capable of making the press free, since the authorities cannot tolerate competition. Shendrovich reported that Gary Kasparov was "giving game sessions in the police department". Shenderovich asked young people with red scarves on their faces, from a party "the name of which even cannot be pronounced", to remove their scarves, and not be afraid and not to call people to revolution, which is fraught with bloodshed. In answer, some of those holding the rally began chanting "Revolution!" Irina Khakamada called on authorities, saying "Give us back our elections!”

During the demonstration, several National-Bolsheviks were detained. Defense reported that activists Sergey Mamaev, Mikas Murashev, Dmitry Stupin, Sergey Yeroshkin, Anton Firsov and Marat Kazikhanov were detained, as well as journalist Aydar Burivayev.

At the end of the rally, some of the participants went to Presnenskoye UVD, where Kasparov and an additional 33 were being detained.

Translated by OM Kenney
PRIMA-News Agency [2007-04-14-Rus-18]
 
http://www.prima-news.ru/eng/news/news/2007/4/19/38029.html