Judge for yourselves.
Here’s the situation: Me, wanting to hold a meeting with supporters in St. Petersburg.
Residents of St. Petersburg who want to come to my meeting and ask me questions.
My meetings, which take place in full compliance with public order and entirely peacefully.
The St. Petersburg city administration, which flatly refuses to provide us with a proper venue for the meeting. It has even openly stated that I will never get one at all, because my supporters are “provocateurs” and have no place in the city center.
And under these conditions, for many weeks now we have been lawfully submitting applications: give us a proper place at a convenient time. For example, the Field of Mars (not an ideal venue at all, but fine). It is a former “Hyde Park” protest site, so the authorities themselves designated it as acceptable for rallies by any political group.
But they ignore all our applications, send us God knows where far from the city center, and (see above) openly say that we have no chance of getting anything.
So who is in the right here? Who is acting lawfully?
Should I now give up altogether on the chance to meet with the people of St. Petersburg?
I think not. That would be a betrayal of them first and foremost.
So here is my plan. It is entirely public and based on the law, goodwill, and a search for compromise.
a) We submit one more application. October 7, Field of Mars, 6:00 p.m.
b) If the administration illegally refuses us again, then I will simply come and hold my meeting in Palace Square. And after it, a peaceful march.
c) I call on all residents of St. Petersburg to join us. Either at the Field of Mars or at Palace Square. That depends on what the city administration decides.
d) I call on all residents of St. Petersburg to help me spread this information and tell people in the city about the problem we are facing.
October 7, 6:00 p.m.
I do not see a better plan. Do you?