European Forum

Opposition in Russia plans new “Day Of Wrath”

On 30 July Russian opposition groups have submitted an application to hold a new “Day of Wrath” protest in Moscow on 12 August. In the past thousand of people have rallied across Russia to denounce the government’s economic policy and demand more freedom.“Day of Wrath” is the joint initiative of several civil society and political opposition groups, including In Defense of the Khimki Forest, For Human Rights, the Moscow Council, the Left Front, and others.

The protesters’ demands include the resignation of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov (who has been mayor since 1992), the reintroduction of direct elections of regional leaders, and the preservation of the historic parts of Moscow. Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov says the protest will be held in front of the mayors’ office. The most recent “Day of Wrath” protest in late June of this year was broken up by police, who arrested many participants.

In related news on 14 July Kremlin has offered Russian opposition leaders official sanction to hold an ongoing series of rallies in defence of the constitutional right to free assembly – “Strategy 31, “ if the opposition agrees to spilt. According to sources, Kremlin’s proposition stipulates that the sanction will be granted only if National Bolshevik Leader and Other Russia representative Eduard Limonov will be excluded from the event’s organizational committee. Opposition leaders have sharply turned down the offer, decrying it as “obscene.”

Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and The Other Russia