We’ve obtained the ultimate, definitive piece of paper. Any official unhappy about people wanting to hold a rally should instantly fall silent and burst into tears when this is shown to them.
I talked about it on air yesterday, but it clearly deserves a separate post.
Do you remember the rally outside the Burmese embassy, supposedly organized “spontaneously by Muslims,” but in fact backed and initiated by Kadyrov?
I’m sure you do—it produced some very striking and, let’s say, highly unusual scenes and slogans for Moscow.
A blocked road, chanting, loads of police—the whole package. And then it ended with absolutely nothing. Unlike any opposition rally, which inevitably brings fines and detentions.
That is how it should have ended—people have every right to hold a rally. And we are absolutely not disputing the right of Muslims, Orthodox Christians, or Buddhists to protest outside embassies.
Still, we were curious: why such a starkly different approach? So we asked the prosecutor’s office: why is it that you’re constantly on our backs, but not on theirs?
The reply was astonishing. It turns out you can do anything. You just must not file a notice for the rally. If you submit an official rally notification, then you have to follow the rules from that point on.
But if you didn’t file one, then your mass gathering no longer counts as a rally at all. Shout as much as you like.
Too bad we didn’t know that earlier.
Just collecting signatures. There was no disturbance of public order.
I officially declare that we regard this paper as written authorization from the prosecutor’s office to hold the January 28 protest in Moscow, demanding the return of real elections. At the Mayakovsky Monument or anywhere on Tverskaya Street. 2:00 p.m.
And I urge all journalists: after every statement by City Hall and the prosecutor’s office about how much they dislike our protest, ask them about this piece of paper and find out what exactly the difference is.
Maybe they’ll finally just say it outright: we simply consider you second-class citizens.
Take to the streets of your city if you refuse to be treated as a second-class citizen.