Is Omon tired?

As a result of the march on May 31, 8 people went to police departments. The security forces, who previously harshly dispersed rallies near Gostiny Dvor, actually disrupted the action with their inactive participation. Many people recognize the need to change the format of protest events, but the answer to the question “what to do?” still not.

As per tradition, oppositionists gathered at Gostiny Dvor. 15 minutes before the start, only journalists were scurrying around the so-called Freedom Square. Around six in the evening, riot police quickly carried a man past numerous photojournalists, shouting that Russia would be free. No one explained what exactly he did. Most only managed to see his shoes. People with white ribbons, the Constitution of the Russian Federation and T-shirts with a crossed out image of Putin flashed across the square every now and then. The action was observed by the Commissioner for Human Rights in St. Petersburg, Alexander Shishlov.
The elderly man sat down on the asphalt, made himself comfortable, and took out a poster, from which it followed that President Vladimir Putin “decided to finish off the opposition not with a baton, but with a ruble.” Not far from him stood apple-grower Maria Kozhevatova; she took out an English textbook from her bag, explaining that she was learning English in order to demand what she was owed from the State Department. The police showed no interest in the picketers.
At 18.20, a small column, led by the leader of the “Civil Committee” Olga Kurnosova, moved towards the Alexander Garden. At the intersection with Dumskaya Street, a law enforcement officer announced that the action had not been coordinated and called on everyone to disperse; riot police took several participants in the procession, including Kurnosova, into a tight circle and escorted them to a police bus. Her comrades continued to move. Lost in the crowd, they reached the Alexander Garden without incident, where they scattered and began to think about where to go - to St. Isaac's or Arts Square. The puzzled ombudsman Shishlov checked with correspondents about the number of participants in the action, they shrugged their shoulders and offhand guessed about 30 people.
After refreshing themselves at the fountain, the participants decided to walk through Dvortsovaya to Arts Square. A teenage group was rehearsing on Dvortsovaya. Walking past them, some oppositionist shouted several times that Putin was a thief, which surprised the schoolgirls a lot.
On Arts Square, several dozen people with white ribbons stood at the Pushkin monument, collecting signatures against something, and then dispersed. To the remark of one of the journalists that the police, with their loyal attitude, spoiled the opposition’s rally, the law enforcement officer replied: “Thank you. We tried."

Alexandra GARMAZHAPOVA
Photo by Mikhail MASLENNIKOV