Last Saturday in Moscow on Bolotnaya Square (as in other cities throughout Russia) an opposition protest was held demanding a reassessment of the results of the State Duma election. The meeting was initially planned to be held on Manege Square, but the application for the meeting permit indicated only 300 participants, and it soon became clear that many more would like to join. On a Facebook page set up for the event, nearly 40,000 indicated that would attend. As a result, the city’s authorities reached a compromise with the protest organizers, raising the number of attendees on the permit to 30,000 but moving the location to Bolotnaya Square on the other side of the Moscow River across from the Kremlin.
A particularly telling sign for this largest protest in at least a decade was the fact that both sides strived to reach a certain compromise. Representatives of the municipal authorities took into consideration the interests of the protesters and those attending the event were quite peaceful. “We are not seeking a revolution, but we insist that you hear our demands” – such was the overriding motif voiced by many of the organizers.
The protest was attended by citizens of all ages and political leans. They could be discerned by the multi-colored flags raised in abundance over the crowd – from red ones with the hammer and sickle to the imperial black, yellow and white flags. Buses and trucks full of police were stationed around the perimeter of the protest location. Those attending had to pass through metal detectors prior to reaching the square.
The general impression of the meeting was one of many smiles and even some kind of goodwill among those who had gathered there. There was no jostling or conflicts with the police, which pleasantly surprised many of the observers, and the organizers of the protest thanked the Moscow police for their good work on the meeting day. In particular, Boris Nemtsov, the co-chair of the protest organizer Solidarity, noted that the police had worked accurately, in a coordinately manner and were attentive to the protesters.
It is difficult to say how many people gathered on Bolotnaya Square, and as always the estimates are varied. The police say up to 25,000, news agencies say at least 25,000. Firsthand witnesses and the organizers mention a broad range of number: 50, 80 and even 150 thousand.
Perhaps the most important outcome of Saturday’s protest was the great relief it brought. As if it became easier to breath, easier for everyone: the authorities, the opposition and even the simple observers. Above all else, for people on both sides now gone is the anxiety and apprehension that they cannot speak with their opponents in a civilized manner. The street protests turned out to be, to much surprise, calm and took place without severe countermeasures by authorities.
The main demand of the protestors on Bolotnaya Square is to throw out the State Duma election results. The winning United Russia party has already reacted to the protesters’ demands: the party leadership announced that the legal demands of the protest participants will not be ignored. “Of course, the people who are protesting the results of the vote or how the vote took place have the right to do this. We live in a democratic country and in a democratic society. The expression of this point of view is important and it will be heard in the media, in society and in the government,” said Andrei Isaev, first deputy secretary of general council's presidium of United Russia.
President Dmitry Medvedev announced that he does not agree with the slogans at the meeting. But at the same time he issued an order that all complaints regarding violations of election legislation be investigated. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, suggested that in the worst case scenario the falsification affected 0.5% of the total vote and could not have affected the results of the election. The position of the Central Election Committee remains unchanged – on the eve of December 10 the committee stated that it does not intend to review the results of the election.
The opposition announced that if its demands are not met, the protesters will once again gather in two weeks’ time on December 24. An application to hold such a meeting has been presented to the Moscow mayor’s office.
Although no compromise was reached, it turns out that in our society civilized political dialog, even if through street protest, is possible, and that perhaps is the most important take-away from the events of this past Saturday.
Alexander Ryazantsev
