July 15, 2020

Opposition searches for ways to survive in post-referendum Russia

topic:	Freedom of Expression
located:	Russia
editor:	Igor Serebryany

Russian opposition groups admitted they have to round up their protest actions after police crackdowns on their offices in Moscow and St Petersburg.

The police searched the offices of the Nyet! (No!) and Open Russia sponsored by President Putin's principal opponent exiled Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The searches were held a few days before the two groups have announced rallies in two capital cities on July 15.

Now, the leaders of the protests downgraded their actions to the less provocative 'flashmobs'. Unlike meetings, the flashmobs do not require the authorities' permission. During the flashmobs, their organisers plan to collect signatures under the demand to declare the result of the constitutional referendum void.

The referendum held on July 1 granted President Vladimir Putin the Kremlin office effectively for life. The Nyet! organisers target primarily young people, the group's co-chair Julia Galyamina says: "The Moscow city hall denied us a meeting downtown, citing coronavirus restrictions. But we understand it pretty well; this is only a formal reason because the epidemy didn't prevent the authorities from holding the voting on constitutional amendments two weeks ago. Still, we are not going to give up."

To participate in the flashmobs, any person only needs to sign a petition, no special registration required.

In St Petersburg, three applications for holding the meetings were turned down by the authorities. The city opposition's coordinators expect the flashmobs will be successful anyway. "We expect the people will line up along the city's main thoroughfare Nevsky Prospect. The law does not qualify the queueing as a rally. Even if the police blocks the prospect, we could collect signatures in the side streets," Sergei Kuzin says.

The opposition invites everyone to participate in the flashmobs regardless of their choice made on July 1, as well as those who abstained from voting. "Our common aim is not to argue among ourselves about whose tactic is better or worse but to unite our efforts to protect our future," Kuzin adds.

After the referendum which the Kremlin described as "breathtaking success," the authorities lost any interest to pretend they are playing under the rules set by the laws and Constitution.

Image by Alina Kuptsova 

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