"Power must be changed regularly, like diapers"

The second day in a row in the northern capital demanded “honest elections”, since the St. Petersburg system opposition was again divided

Photo: Mikhail Maslennikov-"New Gazeta in St. Petersburg"

The second day in a row in the northern capital demanded “honest elections”, since the St. Petersburg system opposition again (once again) was divided. Yesterday, at least 10 thousand people were rallying on the stable area, today - about four thousand on Vladimir. Both columns started from the Oktyabrsky BKZ and walked along the central streets, significantly increasing their numbers along the way. The fact that on Saturday for the rally “for honest elections” (both the other event was agreed), people were about twice as much as on Sunday, the organizers ( “other Russia”, the OGF, “Solidarity”, etc. ) were explained by the presence of famous Moscow guests on February 25 in St. Petersburg: Alexei Odaltsov, Sergei Udaltsov, Harry Kasparov and others. On February 26, representatives of the Communist Party, “Fair Russia”, “Yabloko”, in addition to ordinary citizens, were walking in the center of the city. Supporters of the presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov, nationalists, representatives of the LGBT community and others also joined the protesters. During the Sunday procession, people chanted the same slogans as the day before: “The third term is prison”, “Putin - skis - Magadan”, “Putin’s gang”, “Putin - thief”, “Power to millions, and not millionaires”, “Russia without Putin”, etc. The Communists and Yablheniks stood out by the corresponding slogans: “Zyuganov is our president” and our president ”and our president” and our president ”and our president” and our president ”and our president” and our president. "Yavlinsky is our president."

At the rally, the presidential candidate from Fair Russia Sergey Mironov, the leader of the St. Petersburg “Yabloko” Maxim Reznik, representative of the presidential candidate, businessman Mikhail Prokhorov, Igor Kucherenko and many others, performed at the rally.

The police as usual reduced the number of protesters by several times: according to official figures, only 800 people gathered on Vladimir Square. Both on the 25th and 26th of February, law enforcement agencies did not record incidents and avoided detentions.

At the end, the rally resolution was read out from the stage. The document contains the requirements of the immediate release of political prisoners, the holding of early elections no later than December 2012, political reform, admission to participate in the elections of all political forces, as well as direct elections of the heads of regions.

Direct speech

Sergey Mironov, presidential candidate from Fair Russia

-If there are any doubts about the legitimacy of the elections, then this will become a slow-off mine. I demand not to turn off the webcam at the end of the voting procedure so that you can monitor the filling of increased copies of the protocols in the online mode. The data obtained must be entered into a single database and further compare the result with the readings of the GAS “Elections” system. In addition, I once again invite all participants in the presidential race to sign a joint agreement on observations of the elections. An agreement, which was not shown by none of the presidential candidates, implies inviolability for all observers in polling stations. And the last - I apologize to all the audience for the fact that I have not yet been able to defend the votes that the party in power stolen. I promise to still achieve the resignation of the head of the Central Election Commission Vladimir Churov.

Nikolai Artemenko, leader of the St. Petersburg youth "Yabloko"

- Power, as diapers, needs to be changed regularly. This is why we urge: not to give a single voice for Putin, not to mention a thousand other reasons.

Natalya Evdokimova, leader of the human rights Council of St. Petersburg

- The authorities are trying to make cattle out of the people with all his might. Teachers in the precinct election commissions are forced to falsify the elections. Other state employees are forcibly driven into the polls and forced to take absenteeism. Moreover, they are indicated: for whom exactly it is necessary to vote. Maybe for this they put webcams on the sites to trace how people vote, and not in order for the elections to be honest? .. If we have a sense of dignity, then we will be citizens, if we are citizens, then Russia will be free.