OMON Stamps Out Dissenters’ March

The following it an exclusive translation from News.ru: OMON in Moscow did not let “Dissenters’ March” unfold. Politicians and human rights advocates detained Several dozen persons were detained during the course of the opposition action “Dissenter’s March”, which they wanted to conduct in Moscow, in the vicinity of Chistye prudy. According to the data of “Echo Moskvy”, detained without particular pretext were leader of the SPS Nikita Belykh and leader of the movement “For human rights” Lev Ponomarev. Their lot was shared by members of the OGF [United Civic Front] Alexander Ryklin, Alexander Osovtsov, Kasparov’s advisor Marina Litvinovich. More than 50 persons were detained. Officially it is said that this is the most active participants in the action. The entire vicinity of Chistye prudy is encircled by employees of the OMON and the police.

Nikita Belykh, with whom “Interfax” managed to get in touch by telephone, reported that in the bus where together with him were found about 40 persons, they were delivered to the building of the Meshchansky RUVD [police station]. “But here already all this time nobody is meeting with us, they are not explaining anything to us and are not permitting to exit from the bus”, declared Belykh.By the way, later the organizers of the “March” reported that Belykh and Ponomarev had been released.As CrimeZone reports with a reference to the UVD for the Central district of the capital, some participants in the Dissenters’ March were being detained simply for improper crossing of the street. According to this information, a total of seven were detained in such a manner.As one of the eyewitnesses to the events reported, after cries of “We need ‘Another Russia’” rang out from one autozak [prisoner transport—Trans.], OMONovites burst in there and beat up the detainees.Kasparov.Ru notes that the OMON is detaining young people, who seem suspicious. Some natsbols [members of the outlawed National-Bolshevik party—Trans.] – Maria Kolyada, Alisa Krylova, Mikhail Pulin, who set fire to fayers [?—Trans.] and chanted “Fascists!” to the address of the OMONovites, were likewise detained. As the first deputy press-secretary of the mayor of the capital, Mikhail Solomentsev, reported to “Interfax”, employees of the police prevented the attempts of a group of natsbols in a composition of around a hundred persons from provoking disorders.The action, the start of which had been planned for 17:00, in fact was over by 17:45. A correspondent of “Echo Moskvy” notes: it can not be said that it had taken place, it can be said that it was not allowed to take place.In Petersburg the “dissenters” also march – with ShevchukMore than 2 thousand participants in the “Dissenters’ March” have gathered in Petersburg, reports Namarsh.Ru. They are meeting at the building of the “Oktyabrsky” concert hall. Taking part in the manifestation for the first time is leader of [popular Russian rock group] DDT Yuri Shevchuk, leader of the Petrine cult group “Televizor” Mikhail Borzykin. Also joining in with the “dissenters” is Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s lawyer Yuri Schmidt.Also come to this action are leaders of “The Other Russia” Eduard Limonov and Garry Kasparov, writes Fontanka.Ru.In contrast with Moscow, the Petrine oppositioneers nevertheless did manage to conduct a procession. According to the witness of a correspondent of “Echo Peterburga” , there are less police this time around than “dissenters” – employees of law and order are going in front of and behind the column of manifestants. They are chanting slogans: “All power to the people”, “Medvedev to Embarkation” and “False Dmitry, get out of the Kremlin”, “Down with the Tsar!”, “Revolution!”. The column passed along 4th Soviet street, then a rally began.As “Fontanka” writes, among the participants in the action the police is seeking young people with black packets, in which there could be balloons. Presumably, this could be provocateurs (for example, they could blow up the balloons and pop them, so that sounds of explosions would result).Yuri Shevchuk together with other leaders spoke at the rally: he declared that freedom for him is above all else. “And this has brought me here with you, my dear ones”, proclaimed the leader of DDT.The musician Shevchuk has his reasons for “dissent”. The loudest conflict between Shevchuk and the power erupted in the year 2003 during the time of the preparation of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. Then the city administration at first hired DDT to organize a rock-festival, dedicated to the jubilee, but subsequently prohibited the conducting of the concert. Then the leader of the group DDT made a declaration in the press: “Soon they will start telling us what we can sing, and what we can’t, and all of us with you will be singing marches” and “bureaucrats are afraid of everything”.In Shevchuk’s album “Yedinochestvo” sound such seditious words: “Putin goes from shore to shore, while we’re in … just like before.”