Gathering against the ban

In Moscow, at the Pushkinsky cinema, at about 13.00, participants began gathering in a march against the law, one of the clauses of which prohibits US citizens from adopting Russian children. The law, which also provides for the closure of NGOs engaged in political activities if they employ US citizens, was adopted by the Duma, approved by the Federation Council and signed by Putin in response to the so-called “Magnitsky Act” adopted in the US and imposing sanctions against citizens Russia, violating human rights.

Of the so-called three political forces (although their identification is rather arbitrary), which traditionally gather for mass protests, this time only the left and the so-called liberals (primarily Solidarity) expressed their willingness to participate. Some nationalists did come, but they are few in number, they do not have flags, and their slogans are supported weakly. The applicants for the march were Solidarity activist Pyotr Tsarkov, editor-in-chief of the Daily Journal Alexander Ryklin, representative of Left Front activist Leonid Razvozzhaev in the Coordination Council of the Opposition Evgeniy Tretyakov, as well as civil activists Ekaterina Tarakanova and Olga Belkova, who, in fact, had the idea to organize in response to the adopted law, a procession without a meeting.

The procession includes two actions. The first is the carrying of posters with portraits of deputies and senators who voted for the law, as well as Putin and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights Pavel Astakhov, and the inscription “SHAME!” This idea caused controversy among potential rally participants, with various public figures and even some politicians speaking out against it, including Solidarity activist Ilya Yashin. The second is the collection of signatures for the repeal of the law and the dissolution of the Duma, following Novaya Gazeta.

As Novaya Gazeta notes, among those who came to the rally were Left Front coordinator Sergei Udaltsov, Duma deputies from A Just Russia Dmitry Gudkov and Ilya Ponomarev (one of the few who voted against the law), writers Lyudmila Ulitskaya and Dmitry Bykov, PARNAS co-chairs Mikhail Kasyanov, Boris Nemtsov and Vladimir Ryzhkov, journalists Alexander Minkin and Leonid Parfenov, Yabloko leaders Grigory Yavlinsky and Sergei Mitrokhin. Gudkov wrote on Twitter that one of the authors and most ardent defenders of the adoption ban amendment, United Russia deputy Ekaterina Lakhova, was going to attend the march. A man was seen with a poster in support of Sergei Krivov, accused in the Bolotnaya case, who has been on a hunger strike for a month now, opposing the extension of his detention. They are collecting money for him and other accused in this case.

According to Novaya Gazeta, as of 1:20 p.m., quite a lot of people had gathered, the entire boulevard was filled, and there was a crush at the fences. Among those gathered were many elderly people, including wheelchair users.

At least one obvious provocateur was spotted by the Internet TV channel Ridus - a man dressed as an animated character, a pedophile bear nicknamed Pedobear with the inscription “Drugoi” (a hint at the scandal surrounding the opposition blogger Rustem Adagamov, drugoi is his nickname on LiveJournal). Later, the same Ridus reported that this man was beaten.

At approximately 13.40, the columns moved forward to allow other participants to pass through the frames; movement towards Academician Sakharov Avenue began at around 14.00. At approximately 14.10, journalist Masha Gessen wrote on Twitter: “We have already passed Petrovka, and from Pushkinskaya they are reporting that there is a line at the metal detectors.” The police say that five thousand people gathered for the procession, later - that seven thousand, in the end - that 9,500 people. More often than not, there are significantly more people than the police say, often twice as many. Eyewitnesses say that the column is moving very slowly due to the fact that there are a lot of people and the space is small - they are allowed only on one side of the boulevard (we are talking about the column led by liberals). At approximately 14.30 people began to turn onto Sakharov Avenue. At the final point, people throw ballots in which they voted for the repeal of the law and the dissolution of the Duma into special containers. There is also a container intended for portraits of those responsible for passing the law. "Lenta.Ru" claims that there are about 20 thousand people at the procession, "Echo of Moscow" - that 30 thousand. According to blogger Dmitry Ternovsky, who together with his comrades counted those entering through the frames using special counters, about 25 thousand people gathered for the action.

Lakhova actually came to Pushkin Square, but she was cold, sick, and left without waiting for the procession to start (as she told the Dozhd TV channel). She didn’t like the atmosphere at the march: “People who came to the “March Against Scoundrels” are always dissatisfied with something. All with white ribbons.” It's difficult to comment on this.

Yashin complained on Twitter that Udaltsov tore up and burned the portrait of Putin. True, Dozhd reports that Putin’s portrait did not catch fire. But the police promised to inform the investigators in the case of preparations for organizing mass unrest (Udaltsov is included in it as an accused) that the oppositionist burned a portrait of Putin.

A similar action (but with a rally) is taking place in St. Petersburg on the Field of Mars; according to eyewitnesses, from one thousand to four thousand people attended it. In addition, along Nevsky Prospekt, from Moskovsky Station to Moika, people stand in single pickets with posters. They have already taken place in Barnaul and Novosibirsk, attracting dozens of people.