Demolished the tower - leave the election

How in Yekaterinburg a rally was held against the abolition of direct elections of the mayor. Report "Medusa"

On April 2, a rally was held in Yekaterinburg against the abolition of direct elections of the mayor. According to the organizers, up to 10 thousand people took part in it (the city administration said that about 1.7 thousand people). One of the initiators of the action was the current head of the city Evgeny Roizman. The audience chanted the slogans “This is our city” and “Roizman - Governor!”, And also demanded the resignation of the current head of the Sverdlovsk region Evgeny Kuyvashev, who introduced the bill on the cancellation of the mayor’s elections to the regional parliament.

The start of the rally against the cancellation of direct elections of the mayor was scheduled for 19:00 local time (17:00 in Moscow). By this time, several thousand people gathered on the defense square, which is located in the sleeping Parkovka microdistrict, people lined up in line near the inspection points. The organizers planned to hold a rally on labor Square in the Center of Yekaterinburg, but in the Sverdlovsk Ministry of Public Security (it is engaged in the coordination of public events) they proposed a square distant from the center.

While the townspeople gathered, on the stage installed next to the monument to the Urals who forged victory, the local group Terrinburg played. The rallys who came to rally deployed posters: “We need a mayor, not a mayor”, “The best weather is freedom”, “Do not touch the election”, “They demolished the tower - leave the elections.” Near the stage were the mayor of Yekaterinburg, Yevgeny Roizman, politician Dmitry Gudkov, director Vasily Sigarev. The people who approached the stage were awarded red balloons and offered tea with buns or apples in caramel.

Now in Yekaterinburg the head of the city is elected in direct elections and at the same time is the chairman of the Duma. The city administration is headed by the city manager, appointed on a contract basis by the deputies of the Duma of Yekaterinburg. Governor Yevgeny Kuyvashev - he himself participated in direct elections of the governor once, in 2017 - submitted a bill to the Legislative Assembly of the region on March 22, according to which the head of the city will be only one - and he will be scheduled for the competition.

“Many other elections were taken. At least leave these. The mayor’s election is the basis, this is the quality of life in the city, because it reports to people. Maybe Roizman is not the best mayor, but this is our right to choose, ”the young man Daniil, who came to the campaign for the company with his friend, told Meduza. They learned about the rally from the video blog by Evgeny Roizman - the head of the city for several days in social networks called the townspeople to participate in the action. Last week, he spoke at a meeting of the Committee of the Regional Legislative Assembly on Regional Policy and persuaded deputies not to support the initiative of the governor. Parliamentarians did not listen to Roizman and issued a bill to vote.

A few days before the promotion in the city, the announcement of the free concert of the Chayf group began to spread precisely during the rally. The leader of the group Vladimir Shahrin said that his performance was held as part of the Open Day festival and was planned two months ago.

On the day of the rally, there was also information that Yevgeny Roizman could be related to the murder of pensioner Olga Ledovsky in 2014: the former deputy of the City Duma Oleg Kinev allegedly gave such testimonies for this crime. Roizman himself replied that this was “another reason to besiege him in any possible way,” because he is confident in his victory in the directors of the mayor.

The rally unexpectedly began with the performance of Muscovites who specially came to him. “It is amazing that so many people are ready to protect local self -government. This is what can change the country, ”said Julia Galyamin, a municipal deputy from the Timiryazevsky district of Moscow. Former State Duma deputy Dmitry Gudkov explained to the audience that “a bunch of Kholuyev and the appointment” wanted to be canceled by direct elections, who “do not need honest and smart”, but “we need loyal and faithful”. “We all know your mayor of Roizman in Moscow. We know how he leads the receptions of the population, how the marathons are running. And what do we know about the governor of Kuyvashev? He stole the elections from you! " Gudkov raised his voice. In the crowd they responded: "Yes!"

“I think we will not win. But you need to remember that not every defeat is a defeat forever, ”said the director Vasily Sigarev. The next speaker - the former deputy of the Duma of Yekaterinburg and the chief of staff of the opposition Alexei Navalny Leonid Volkov - did not agree with him. Volkov categorically stated that Yekaterinburg "The option with the appointment is not suitable." “Our maximum task is to return the elections of a full-fledged mayor, which the townspeople trust, which represents the city development program, has all the powers to realize it,” he said.

Political scientist Fedor Krasheninnikov read out a rally resolution. In addition to the requirement to return to Yekaterinburg the right to choose a full -fledged mayor who would head the city administration, the resolution also recorded the requirement of the resignation of the current governor of the region Yevgeny Kuyvashev. “Resigned! Resigned! " - the crowd began to chant. “Roizman is a governor! This is our city, ”the protesters continued to chant.

Evgeny Roizman entered the stage last - and under applause. “I am very glad to see everyone, because people gathered honest, decent and good. Those that are our city of Yekaterinburg. In Yekaterinburg, the tradition of choosing a mayor has existed since 1766. This is the right of residents of Yekaterinburg, this is such a city tradition. And the city always flourished. In my opinion, Yekaterinburg is the best city in the Earth. And for no reason, a visiting person without education, without horizons, wants to deprive us of the mayor’s elections. Well, why suddenly? If you want to steer, go the rudder by the area that is falling apart, which is all in debt. Yekaterinburg is the only millionaire city that does not have debts. We are a really strong, powerful, beautiful city. We are able to choose the mayor ourselves, this right cannot be abandoned. Do you agree with what I say? " - Roizman turned to the participants of the action. "Yes!" - they responded.

The townspeople launched red balloons into the sky and a couple of minutes - before dispersing - chanted: “This is our city” and “Kuyvashev resigned”.

The first reading of the bill on the cancellation of the election of the mayor of Yekaterinburg is scheduled for April 3.

Maria Plusnina , Yekaterinburg