Russian opposition activists to hold rally on New Year's eve
MOSCOW, December 31 (RIA Novosti)-While Russia is preparing to celebrate the New Year, the opposition and human rights groups' activists are set to hold a sanctioned opposition rally on December 31 in downtown Moscow's Triumfalnaya Square.
For more than a year, protesters have attempted to hold rallies there on the last day of every month that has 31 days to demand that the government respect Article 31 of the Russian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly.
Requests to hold the rallies were invariably turned down by former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, who was dismissed by President Dmitry Medvedev in September.
Current Mayor Sergei Sobyanin sanctioned October's rally, but the event was marred by an inner dispute between the protest's kingpins over the number of participants.
Moscow's human rights Helsinki Group head Lyudmila Alexeyeva negotiated a cap of 800 protesters, but opposition leader Eduard Limonov, who demanded 1,500, refused to take part in the sanctioned rally, and held his own unsanctioned demo outside the square.
He insists that under current regulations, no formal permission is needed and that the authorities only need to be notified about an upcoming event in advance.
Alexeyeva said capital's authorities had given a green light to the 1,000-people December's rally, while Limonov dismissed all the possible legal ways of rallying.
Limonov called on the participants of the ethnic clashes at central Manezh Square on December 11 to join the demo on Triumfalnaya Square.
"We are fighting for the freedom, it is not about the holiday and festive board...Those who want to celebrate do not join us, celebrate your holiday with your Olivier salad and cloying relatives," Limonov said, adding the opposition unites people, who are politically motivated for the fight.
"I expect to be detained," Limonov said.
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