When the "Yuryev day" comes

The time, place and format of the December, “anniversary” protest of the opposition is still in question. The coordinator of the Left Front Sergei Udaltsov has repeatedly stated that the rally will be held on December 8. However, a “group of citizens” does not agree with him - one of the factions of the Coordinating Council of the opposition. Her member, journalist Sergei Parkhomenko, offered his own option : to hold not a rally, but the procession, the date, choose the date on December 9, “Yuryev Day”, and the main slogan of the action to make a request to ensure the change of power.

In an interview with Publicpost, Parkhomenko talked about how his proposal is fundamentally different from the version of Sergei Udaltsov, why the procession is preferable to the rally, and why such promotions should be held monthly.

Sergey Parkhomenko, journalist, member of the Coordinating Council

Now the main controversial moment, as I understand it, is the date of the action and its form.

I would not call it a controversial moment - there are several different offers, you have to discuss them all and choose something between them. I think that until November 24, when the general collection of the Coordinating Council will be held, nothing will be completely resolved. As for the form, in general, perhaps, everyone agrees that it should be a procession without a rally. This, it seems to me, corresponds to the general mood and experience of the latest large actions, when it was clear that people with much more enthusiasm participated in the procession and walked, chanting, with banners and flags. This was the more important part of the action than the rally that occurred later. Not everyone then remained on the rally and we all saw that the number of people after the procession sharply fell.

What, in your opinion, is the fundamental difference when to hold a rally on December 8, on Saturday, as Udaltsov proposed, or December 9?

There are just different views on when it is more convenient to do this. There are many students in Moscow, of course, more convenient for them on Sunday. And the story with dachas in winter, thank God, is not so relevant. In addition, after a working week, people accumulate all sorts of things, they prefer to do them on Saturday. Only such consideration.

Meanwhile, Udaltsov says that on Saturday it would be more convenient for those who come to Moscow from other cities. But the number of these people should not exaggerate, practice shows that there are not very many of them and for them is also not very fundamental, on Saturday or Sunday. So these are purely practical considerations. It seems to me personally that December 9 is better because it is closer to the anniversary of the large protest rally. In addition, I like the story about “Yuryev Day” (under serfdom on this day, the transition of peasants from one landowner to another - publicpost) was allowed that the date coincided with such a symbolic day.

Not everyone agrees with such an analogy.

It seems to me that there would be a good slogan. Although, I know that there are a sufficient number of people who believe that you should not look for extra historical meanings and emphasize this.

Why, it was the requirements for ensuring the change of power that became the topic of the procession, when many are now concerned more specific issues - the struggle for the rights of political prisoners in the “case of May 6”?

So far, this proposal of a group of members of the Constitutional Court, to which I belong. Again, this is a subject for discussion. We really hear a lot of votes that the topic of political repression and political prisoners today is more important and it is worth putting it on to the forefront. There is also a reason for this. It is possible that the theme of the policy and the adjacent topic of the fair court will be more relevant and will be declared the main slogans of the upcoming action. After all, it is about holding a multi -part campaign from several shares. Each of them will be devoted to some kind of political topic. One of them is the replacement of power and competition in politics, the other is the court, the third is the press, the fourth is the fight against corruption and economic reform. The order in which these sections of the opposition program will be created will be determined depending on the development of events. Those who say that the topic of justice and political repressions in Russia are more important, maybe they are right. I am ready to discuss this and it is quite possible that this will be the main content of the action.

What interval will be between such promotions? There is no fears that, due to the frequency of people, there will be less and less?

I think that three weeks or a month between shares is a completely normal interval. There are always fears, this is exactly what the discussion comes for this. There are different ideas: some say that promotions need to be used as a job - every weekend, others - withstand large pauses. There is some compromise in the discussion.

When will the final decision on the December action be made?

The general decision will be made and approved at the general meeting of the KS on November 24, although it will be developed earlier. There are almost two more weeks, the discussion is very active, voting, a preliminary, reference nature, is on the site “ Democracy -2 ”, and on Facebook and on the phone - the temporary responsible secretary calls. So key decisions are made gradually.

Publicpost could not be contacted with Sergey Udaltsov. He did not make any statements about transferring the date of the action, besides what he wrote on his Twitter: “The name“ Yuryev Day ”does not like many in the Constitutional Court, this is the initiative of only a few members of the Constitutional Court”.