Dissenters' March
This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2013) |
Samara, Chelyabinsk | |
Organised by | Garry Kasparov Mikhail Kasyanov Eduard Limonov |
---|---|
Filmed by | Alyona Polunina (The Revolution That Wasn't) |
Participants | Coalition The Other Russia National Bolshevik Party United Civil Front Vanguard of Red Youth Russian People's Democratic Union |
The Dissenters' March
It was preceded by opposition rallies in Russian cities in December 2005 which involved fewer people.
Most of the protests were unsanctioned. Usually, the authorities of the cities where the march was expected to take place have proposed protesters to meet at some more peripheral place and forbade processions. However, according to Russian legislation (prior to the Russo-Ukrainian War), organizers of a march should merely inform the authorities of the upcoming event and do not need a sanction, while the authorities have no right to prohibit a march in the specific places where it has been planned by the opposition,[5] and demonstrators have usually defied the ban (apart from the rally in Saint Petersburg on April 15, 2007).
Since 2009, instead of dissenters marches, Russian opposition has held Strategy-31 rallies, though some of them have been accompanied by attempts of processions.
Marches
Moscow, December 16, 2006
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The first march of the series took place in Moscow on December 16, 2006.[6]
Saint Petersburg, March 3, 2007
The first march in Saint Petersburg took place on Saturday, March 3, 2007.
Political context and organization
Taking place a year before the
The unsanctioned protest rally was organized by
Preventive countermeasures
Governor
The police raided apartments of Saint Petersburg opposition activists early on Saturday morning and quite a few were pulled out of trains heading for St. Petersburg from Petrozavodsk and Murmansk.[12]
Number of demonstrators
The rally became one of the biggest demonstrations of the opposition in recent years.
Police stated that 800 participated in the march.
Russian police dispersed the protesters, detaining 113 people.[20][21][22][23] According to police, all of the detainees were released shortly except for two bodyguards of Eduard Limonov, who got 15 days of arrest for "organization of mass disorders".[24] Most of the detainees were convicted and given money penalties.[20][25]
Course of events
Despite the fact that the organizers had been denied permission for the rally by the city authorities, several thousand people defied the ban, facing about 3,000 police officers and
In a speech addressed to the marchers, Kasparov told the crowd, "This is our first real victory. I congratulate you on overcoming your fear. We will have victory when we get our Russia back. We have 364 days before the election in 2008."[citation needed]
After his speech, Kasparov declared the march to be over and stated that everyone should leave. At the same time, Michail Kasyanov left the march on a blue minibus.[27][28]
People shouted "Russia without Putin!", "Shame!", "Give the elections back!", "This is our city!" and "Out with the corrupt authorities!" as well as slogans against the
Tatyana Voltskaya, a journalist working for
Resolutions adopted by the March[30] included: demands on federal policy (to allow opposition to participate in elections, reforms of judiciary, trials against corruptioners, restoration of direct gubernatorial elections abolished on Vladimir Putin's initiative in 2005); protests against actions of St. Petersburg Governor (mayor) Valentina Matviyenko and demands to dismiss her; and a block of social claims (such as usage of the stabilization fund [1] to enhance pensions, or demonopolizing the market of public transportation).[7][31]
Sergey Gulyayev, a member of the
Official reaction and media coverage
Valentina Matviyenko called the protesters "guest stars from Moscow" and "youths of extremist persuasion", accusing them of stirring turmoil ahead of the legislative elections, venting their discontent with the city's perceived dynamic development, and receiving financial support from dubious sources, such as imprisoned Mikhail Khodorkovsky and emigrated Boris Berezovsky.
Since February 27, 2007 the official website of Dissenters' March[33] has been DDoS-attacked several times.[34]
According to Garry Kasparov, the major informational resource of the March was the radio station "Echo of St. Petersburg", which informed people in a timely manner on the progress of the march.[35]
The march was covered on
State-owned
Nizhny Novgorod, March 24, 2007
The protest in Nizhny Novgorod scheduled for March 24 was banned by the city authorities and effectively prevented by police, as many of its leaders and expected participants had been arrested in advance and cordons had sealed off the expected meeting place, Gorky Square. Many OMON (riot police) troops arrived there from other regions of Russia. Although a group of protesters defying the ban managed to get through the barriers, they all have been detained. In all, 102 people were detained during the protest at the square or on their way there according to the official figures, 11 of them from Moscow, 6 from St. Petersburg and one from Latvia.[39]
Moscow, April 14, 2007, and Saint Petersburg, April 15, 2007
Moscow
On Saturday, April 14, 2007, dissenters marched in central Moscow.[40] Roughly 9,000 police and
Demonstrators were going to start the march at
Defying the ban, participants of the anti-government protest, however, attempted to march about 2 km along the
As the demonstration ended, the remaining participants headed for the nearby metro station, but riot police formed a gauntlet on their way. Scores of demonstrators was beaten by police with truncheons and detained, as well as Russian and foreign journalists covering the event and passersby.[45] According to police, about 170 or 250 protesters were detained during the event.[46]
Kasparov was fined 1,000 rubles (about $40) by a court late in the evening and released.
Andrey Illarionov, former economic policy adviser to President Vladimir Putin and now a participant of the rally, claimed later on Saturday in an interview to the Echo of Moscow radio station that the authorities' treatment of the march had to be considered a criminal offense under Article 31 of the Russian Constitution.[47]
The Moscow authorities called the protest attempt at provocation, successfully contained by the police.[48]
Saint Petersburg
The Sunday, April 15, 2007, rally in Saint Petersburg was organized for the second time in the city by the local subdivision of the Other Russia organization, led by Sergey Gulyayev, and supported by the local branch of Yabloko and its leader Maxim Reznik. This time the city authorities sanctioned the rally to be held between the noon and 2 p. m., but nevertheless refused to permit protesters to march to City Hall. President Vladimir Putin visited the city on the night before the event together with former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and American film actor of Belgian origin Jean-Claude Van Damme to watch a martial arts contest, but did not comment on the protest. Berlusconi noted that the number of anti-Putin protesters had been exaggerated by the media.[49]
During the meeting protesters chanted slogans targeting policies of President Vladimir Putin and Governor Valentina Matviyenko, demanding an end to corruption and police violence against dissenters, greater accountability of the authorities, as well as free mass media and elections, and claiming that they were not afraid. As in two hours protesters had begun to disperse, heading toward the nearby Pushkinskaya metro station, OMON started beating them as well as some passersby with truncheons. Some of the victims were later hospitalized. Police detained about 120 participants (according to official figures) including Eduard Limonov, Maxim Reznik and Sergey Gulyayev himself, with his left arm broken in the clash.[50]
Reaction
On Sunday evening,
In an interview on
However, opinions varied. On April 21, pro-Kremlin political analyst
May 29, 2007: Voronezh
A smaller march was held in Voronezh on May 29, 2007.
According to Garry Kasparov the authorities took maximum efforts to break the march and fulfilled their goals. The destination of the March was planned to be on Lenina Square in city center, but at the last hours city authorities transferred the meeting to Admiralteiskaya Square. Around 40 participants started movement from the city center. By 6:30 pm OMON had displaced the participants from the square and cleaned it.[57]
June–October, 2007
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2013) |
- June 12: Murmansk
- June 9: Saint Petersburg (3rd)
- June 11: Moscow (3rd)
- June 30: Ryazan
- October 7: Moscow (4th)
November, 2007: Saint Petersburg and Moscow
Other marches took place on November 24 in Moscow (5th), on November 25 in Saint Petersburg (4th), and in several smaller cities.
Police broke up anti-Putin demonstrations in Moscow, detaining former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who had become an outspoken critic of the government.[58] Kasparov was sentenced on Saturday to five days imprisonment for organising an unsanctioned rally and refusing to obey police orders. He told reporters the charges were "unfounded" and accused the Russian leader of having recourse to scare tactics.[59] In Saint-Petersburg Russian authorities geared for fresh protests on Sunday.[59]
Human rights activist
The Moscow march of November 24 was accompanied by actions in
On November 25 marches took part in Saint-Petersburg, where hundreds gathered as police moved in to make arrests,
2008 Marches
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2013) |
- March 3: Protest rallies after presidential elections in Moscow,[61] Saint-Petersburg,[62] and more than 20 big cities
- December 14: Marches in Moscow[63] and Saint-Petersburg;[64] protest rallies in Kaliningrad and Vladivostok
Media depictions
Films
- This is Our City (2007), by Aleksandr Shcherbanosov
- The Revolution That Wasn't (2008), by Alyona Polunina
Books
- 12 Who Don't Agree (2009), non-fiction book by Valery Panyushkin
Music
- Музыка НЕсогласных 1 (2007)
- Музыка НЕсогласных 2 (2008)
- Музыка НЕсогласных 3 (2009)
See also
- Russian March
- Strategy-31
- 2011–13 Russian protests
References
- ^ Also known as the March of the Discontented, March of Dissenters, March of Those Who Disagree
- ^ Myers, Steven (May 19, 2007). "Russia Detains Opposition Leaders Until They Miss a Protest". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ a b "Kasparov Compares Putin Government To Belarus, Zimbabwe". Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty. Washington D.C. May 20, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2023. (citing Reuters, AP)
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 16, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) by Douglas Birch, Associated Press. - ^ Федеральный закон Российской Федерации от 19 июня 2004 г. N 54-ФЗ О собраниях, митингах, демонстрациях, шествиях и пикетированиях Archived December 11, 2015, at the Wayback Machine – full text of the law in Russian.
- ^ Марш несогласных в Москве 16.12.06 Archived April 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine – Dissenters March Moscow, December 16, 2006
- ^ Radio Liberty, 3 March 2007.
- The St. Petersburg Times, 9 February 2007.
- ^ (in Russian)Site of Workers' Party Archived January 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The St. Petersburg Times, 6 March 2007.
- ^ a b "Anti-Kremlin Protesters Beaten by Police". Archived from the original on March 14, 2007.
- ^ a b Those Who Disagree Marched in St. Petersburg Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine by Andrey Kozenko and Mikhail Shevchuk, Kommersant, 5 March 2007.
- ^ a b c "Армия "несогласных" прошла по Невскому". March 3, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ a b c ВЕДОМОСТИ - "Это наш город!" - Марш несогласных прошел через кордоны
- ^ "Новости NEWSru.com :: "Марш несогласных" планируется провести и в Нижнем Новгороде". March 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ "Эхо Москвы :: Новости / Адвокат Андрея Лугового – бизнесмена, который проходит свидетелем по делу Литвиненко, ничего не знает о возможной причастности к отравлению бывшего акционера ЮКОСа Леонида Невзлина". Эхо Москвы. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ "Ежедневный Журнал: Главное - люди поняли, что власть их боится". Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ "Грани.Ру: 'Марш несогласных' в Петербурге: 8 тысяч человек идут по Невскому - Политика / Россия / Регионы". Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ a b "На "Марше несогласных" задержаны активисты "Обороны" и НДСМ". Газета.Ru. March 3, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ a b "Ъ-Газета - "Марш несогласных" ведет строевую подготовку". Коммерсантъ. March 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ "Страница не найдена". Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ "Не было ни одного разбитого стекла". Новые Известия. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ "Валентина Матвиенко: Митинг в Петербурге организовали "гастролеры" из Москвы". Российская газета. March 5, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ "Властям удалось создать протест | Деловой Петербург". Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007. "Business Petersburg" №38 (2360) of 06.03.2007
- ^ "Горячая линия ОГФ". Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ ""Несогласные" начали запрещенный марш в Петербурге". Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ http://www.apn-nn.ru/?chapter=diskurs_s&id=933&sf=1 Oleg Kashin "March of the Discontented:First Impressions"
- ^ http://www.vz.ru/politics/2007/3/3/70869.html Tatiana Kosobokova "Kasyanov on the show" March 3, 2007 Vzgliad
- ^ ABC News. "International News - World News - ABC News". ABC News. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ (in Russian) http://www.namarsh.ru/resolution.php[permanent dead link] Resolution of the March of the Discontented in St. Petersburg
Resolution with comments - ^ Dozens Held in Russia Opposition Rally by Dmitry Lovetsky, The Washington Post, 3 March 2007.
- ^ "Новые подробности по Маршу несогласных". Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ "МАРШ НЕСОГЛАСНЫХ". Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ ""Маршем несогласных" по Петербургу пройдет две тысячи человек". Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- Echo Moskvy, Full Albats, 4 March(in Russian)
- ^ [news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3681938.stm Russians hold democracy rally], BBC News video, 3 March 2007.[dead link]
- ^ Anti-Kremlin protesters beaten by police, CNN, 3 March 2007.
- ^ Dissenters March, Russia Watches Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine by Arina Borodina and Maria-Luisa Tiramaste, Kommersant, 12 March 2007.
- The St. Petersburg Times, 27 March 2007.
- ^ Riot Police Violently Break Up March by Natalya Krainova and David Nowak, The Moscow Times, 16 April 2007
- Radio Liberty, 16 April 2007.
- ^ Political activists, police spar in Moscow by David Holley, the Los Angeles Times, 15 April 2007.
Dissenters Crushed Archived May 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine by Ekaterina Savina and Andrei Kozenko, Kommersant, 16 April 2007.
"Марш несогласных" застрял в очереди by Ekaterina Savina and Yulia Sukhonina, Kommersant, 3 April 2007.
"Марш несогласных" остался несогласованным by Andrey Kozenko, Kommersant, 10 April 2007. - ^ "The other Russia, the one you don't see on TV". CBC News. April 16, 2007. Archived from the original on January 13, 2008.
- ^ Политическое значение "Марша несогласных". Россия при Путине: мнения Бориса Березовского и Андрея Илларионова Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine by Mikhail Sokolov, Svobodanews.ru, 16 April 2007.
Former Chess Champion Is Arrested at Protest March in Moscow by Andrew E. Kramer and Michael Schwirtz, The New York Times, 15 April 2007.
Police Detain Kasparov at Moscow March by Mike Eckel, The Guardian, 14 April 2007.
Political activists, police spar in Moscow by David Holley, the Los Angeles Times, 15 April 2007.
Dissenters Crushed Archived May 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine by Ekaterina Savina and Andrei Kozenko, Kommersant, 16 April 2007. - The St. Petersburg Times, 17 April 2007., 15 April 2007.
Political activists, police spar in Moscow by David Holley, the Los Angeles Times - Radio Liberty, 16 April 2007., 15 April 2007.
Former Chess Champion Is Arrested at Protest March in Moscow by Andrew E. Kramer and Michael Schwirtz, The New York Times, 15 April 2007.
"Марш несогласных": задержаны 250 человек, Grani.ru, 14 April 2007.
Political activists, police spar in Moscow by David Holley, the Los Angeles Times - ^ Правозащитники: Задержания на "Марше несогласных" - грубейшее нарушение закона, Grani.ru, 14 April 2007.
Политическое значение "Марша несогласных". Россия при Путине: мнения Бориса Березовского и Андрея Илларионова Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine by Mikhail Sokolov, Svobodanews.ru, 16 April 2007. - ^ Dissenters Crushed Archived May 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine by Ekaterina Savina and Andrei Kozenko, Kommersant, 16 April 2007.
- ^ Riot Police Violently Break Up March by Natalya Krainova and David Nowak, The Moscow Times, 16 April 2007.
- ^ The St. Petersburg Times, 17 April 2007.
- ^ Митинг без марша, Grani.ru, 15 April 2007.
- ^ Как канал "Россия" подверг цензуре французское ТВ by Yelena Rykovtseva, Svobodanews.ru, 17 April 2007.
- Radio Liberty, 16 April 2007.
- ^ Dissenters Marches Not Significant Enough for the Kremlin Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Kommersant, 17 April 2007.
- , 17 April 2007.
- ^ Реальная политика. НТВ, 21 апреля 2006, 22:00.
- ^ Political events in Voronezh. Archived September 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
- ^ National Public Radio. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
- ^ a b "Russia gears for new protests after Kasparov arrest". France 24. November 25, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2007.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Five-day jail for Kasparov after Moscow protest". WebIndia 123. November 25, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
- ^ Марш несогласных в Москве 3 марта 2008 года – Dissenters March Moscow, 3 March 2008
- ^ в Санкт-Петербурге 3 марта 2008 года Archived May 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine – Dissenters March Moscow, 3 March 2008
- ^ Марш Несогласных, Москва, 14 декабря Archived October 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine – Dissenters March Moscow, 14 December 2008
- ^ Марш Несогласных, Санкт-Петербург, 14 декабря Archived June 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine – Dissenters March Saint-Petersburg, 14 December 2008
External links
- Dissenters March
- Dissenters' March in Moscow, December 16, 2006 music video
- This is Our City (2007) - Dissenters' March in St. Petersburg filmed by Aleksandr Shcherbanosov
- Dissenters March - official community in LJ
- Russian Protests: The Big Guessing Game by Mark Ames, The Nation, 12 June 2007
- Police Clash With Anti-Kremlin Protesters, Radio Liberty, March 3, 2007.
- Dozens Held in Russia Opposition Rally by Dmitry Lovetsky, The Washington Post, March 3, 2007.
- Police and Protesters Clash in St. Petersburg by Andrew E. Kramer, The New York Times, March 4, 2007.
- Independent discussion of Matviyenko's rule (in Russian)
- Die-hard Kremlin opponents take protest to streets, Reuters, March 2, 2007.
- Anti-Kremlin protesters beaten by police, CNN, March 3, 2007.
- Russian Police Quash Opposition Protest by Dmitry Lovetsky, The Guardian, March 3, 2007.
- Those Who Disagree Marched in St. Petersburg by Andrey Kozenko and Mikhail Shevchuk, Kommersant, March 5, 2007.
- 2000 Oppositioners March in St Petersburg to Protest Putin Rule, Moscow News, March 4, 2007.
- Russian Police Beat Democracy Activists, The Washington Post, March 4, 2007.
- Russians Protest Putin's Rule by Yuri Zarakhovich, Time, March 4, 2007.
- Thousands Take to City Streets for Protest by Galina Stolyarova, The St. Petersburg Times, March 6, 2007.
- Opposition Alliance Brings Protests to City by Galina Stolyarova, The St. Petersburg Times, February 2, 2007.
- Liberal March Violently Dispersed, The Moscow Times, March 5, 2007.
- Biography of Sergey Vladimirovich Gulyaev (Russian)
- Russians take to the streets, show what might have once been called 'American spirit' by Douglas Birch, Associated Press Photo shows how Sergey Gulayev was arrested
- Civil war will start when they send here OMON of Ramzan Kadyrov, interview with Sergey Gulyaev (Russian)
- Two views of the April 15 march in Moscow (in Russian): March of asphyxiated by Panyushkin, Fish'es March by Novokshonov.