Tens of thousands gathered in downtown Moscow on Russia Day on Tuesday for the March of Millions opposition rally.
Tens of thousands gathered in downtown Moscow on Russia Day on Tuesday for the March of Millions opposition rally.
The March of Millions, which was approved by the authorities for up to 50,000 participants, saw the protesters march along downtown boulevards and a stop for a concert and a round of speeches from opposition figures.
The red flags of the Communists predominated with plenty of nationalists also in attendance.
Some 12,000 police officers were deployed throughout Moscow on Tuesday.
City police said 18,000 showed up for the rally as of 2 p.m. Organizers and opposition media put the figure at between 25,000 and 100,000.
The Tuesday rally is the first of its kind since a May 6 event on Bolotnaya Square, which ended with protesters clashing with police and numerous arrests.
Speakers at the event included leftist leaders Sergei Udaltsov (in the photo) and Dmitry Gudkov, liberal politician Boris Nemtsov and opposition-minded writer Dmitry Bykov.
Udaltsov voiced the rally’s formal demands, including a new reform of political legislation, release of alleged “political prisoners,” access to federal television channels for protesters and, most importantly, snap presidential and parliamentary elections.
A new rally will take place in the fall, possibly on October 7, Udaltsov said.
Meanwhile, the opposition should continue permanent protests in the streets of Moscow, where activists attempted to set up camps in recent weeks, Udaltsov said.
The opposition rally in central Moscow.
The opposition rally in central Moscow.
