Saint Petersburg March of the Discontented

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Protesters at the meeting near Gostiny Dvor

The March of the Discontented^[1] (Russian: Марш несогласных) was a major unsanctioned political opposition protest that took place on Saturday, March 3, 2007, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The rally became one of the biggest demonstration of the opposition in recent years. It was preceded by Dissenters' March in Moscow on December 16, 2006 and by rallies in Russian cities in December 2005 which involved fewer people.

Police stated that 800 participated in the March.[2]. According to correspondent of Vedomosti newspaper, there were more than 2,000 participants.[3] Interfax news agency estimated the number of participant between 2,000 and 3,000.[4] Saint Petersburg internet newspaper Fontanka.ru wrote that from 2,000 to 5,000 took part in the March.[5] News.ru reported that the rally collected about 4,000 to 6,000 demonstrators.[6] According to claims by Garry Kasparov the total number was around 6,000 protestors. [7] On the article written at Daily Journal (ej.ru), Garry Kasparov stated that he believes around 7,000 individuals were taking part in the March, and on the Nevsky avenue around 4,500 marched. [8] Liberal opposition news website Grani.ru alleged that around 8,000-10,000 were participating in the March. [9] The largest number was claimed by the leader of NDSM Yulia Malysheva, who claimed there were 15,000 participants.[10]

Russian police dispersed the protesters, detaining 113 people. [11] [12] [13] [14] According to police, all of the detainees were released shortly except for two bodyguards of Eduard Limonov, who got 15 days of arrest for "organization of mass disorders".^[2] Most of detainees were convicted to money penalties. [15] [16]

1 Political context and organization
2 Preventive countermeasures
3 Course of events
4 Official reaction and media coverage
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Political context and organization

Taking place a year before the presidential election scheduled on March 2, 2008, the St. Petersburg protest also came ahead of the local elections to the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly to be held on March 11, 2007.^[3] While leaders of Communist party and democratic Union of Right Forces which were going to contest for votes didn't take part in the march (as well as other major parties), the action was joined by St. Petersburg department of social-liberal party Yabloko which had been eliminated from the upcoming local legislative election for technical reasons earlier in February.^{[citation needed]}

The unsanctioned protest rally was organized by The Other Russia^{[citation needed]}, a broad umbrella group that includes both left and right-wing opposition leaders, including National Bolshevik Party with its leader Eduard Limonov, far-left Vanguard of Red Youth, and far-left Workers' Party of Viktor Anpilov,^[4] as well as right-wing liberal people such as former world chess champion and United Civil Front leader Garry Kasparov and former Prime Minister of Russia and People Democratic Union leader Mikhail Kasyanov.^{[citation needed]} Sergey Gulyayev, Mikhail Amosov and Natalya Yevdokimova, Democratic faction deputies in the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly who represented Yabloko, and Maxim Reznik, leader of the party in Saint Petersburg, took part in the protest, as well as other Saint Petersburg citizens of different ages and political persuasions. Gulyayev was elected chairman of the organizing committee.^[5]^[3] [17]

[edit] Preventive countermeasures

Governor Valentina Matviyenko, appearing on Channel 5 news bulletins on Friday evening (March 2), warning people not to join people she called extremists. Warnings were broadcast on public address systems in the underground advising people to stay away from the rally.^[5]

The police raided apartments of Saint Petersburg opposition activists early in the Saturday morning and quite a few were pulled out of trains heading for St. Petersburg from Petrozavodsk and Murmansk.^[6].

[edit] Course of events

Sergey Gulyayev with a megaphone

OMON beat participants of the March

Participants of the March beat OMON

Despite the fact that the organizers had been denied permission for the rally by the city authorities, several thousand of people defied the ban, facing about 3,000 officers of police and OMON summoned up from St. Petersburg, Republic of Karelia, Pskov and Vladimir,^[6] broke through several OMON cordons and marched from the Oktyabrsky Concert Hall down the city's main avenue, Nevsky Prospekt, as far as Gostiny Dvor and the building of the pre-1917 Saint Petersburg City Duma. Dozens of people were beaten by OMON with truncheons. [18] [19] [20] Initially the protesters were going to march from Vosstaniya Square to Smolny, where the Saint Petersburg City Administration resides, but changed their plans on the fly. Automobile traffic was blocked by the police cordons and protesters. [21][22][23]

In a speech addressed to the marchers, Kasparov told the crowd, "This is our first real victory. I congratulate you on overcoming your fear. We will have victory when we get our Russia back. We have 364 days before the election in 2008."^[7]

After his speech, Kasparov told that the March is over and everyone should leave. At the same time, Michail Kasyanov left the March on blue minibus.^[8]^[9]

People shouted "Russia without Putin!", "Shame!", "Give the elections back!", "This is our city!" and "Out with the corrupt authorities!" as well as slogans against the Gazprom City skyscraper construction project [24] [25]. They called for the dismissal of Governor Matviyenko, a close Putin ally, accusing her of corruption and interference with small businesses in favor of large state-controlled corporations. [26]

Tatyana Voltskaya, a journalist working for Radio Free Europe who witnessed the protest, said, "When I came I saw a very tight police cordon. The police had left only two very narrow corridors for people. I would say that to be inside it was very unsafe because of a possible stampede. Police officers were speaking through megaphones. They urged people to leave the square and not to disturb the public order. It was not possible to hear what they were saying because the crowd was shouting ‘Disgrace, disgrace!'"^[3]

Resolutions adopted by the March^[10] included: demands on federal policy (to allow opposition to participate in elections, reforms of judiciary, trials against corruptioners, restoration of direct governor elections abolished on Vladimir Putin's initiative in 2005); protests against actions of St. Petersburg Governor (mayor) Valentina Matviyenko and requirements to dismiss her; and a block of social claims (such as usage of the stabilization fund [27] to enhance pensions, or demonopolizing market of public transportation).^[3]^[11]

Sergey Gulyayev, a member of the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly, said, "The government is afraid of the slightest disturbance. The government is fragile and scared, and will collapse with one push." Interior Ministry police moved through the protesters, taking Gulyayev's bullhorn, throwing it against a nearby building, and putting Gulyayev into a squad car in a headlock. As they did so protesters chanted, "Shame! Shame!"^[7]

[edit] Official reaction and media coverage

Dispersing of demonstrators, teenager is carrying sign Berezovsky, we are with you!. Organizers of the rally have considered that this slogan was a provocation carried out by pro-government youth organizations. [1]

Valentina Matviyenko called the protesters "guest stars from Moscow" and "youths of extremist persuasion", accusing them of stirring turmoil ahead of the legislative elections, venting their discontent with the city perceived dynamic development, and receiving financial support from dubious sources, such as imprisoned Mikhail Khodorkovsky and exiled Boris Berezovsky. [28]

Since February 27 the official website of Dissenters' March [29] has been DDoS-attacked several times. [30]

According to Garry Kasparov, the major informational resource of the March was the radio station "Echo of St. Petersburg", which informed people in timely manner on the progress of the march.^[12]

The march was covered on BBC, CNN and EuroNews.^{[citation needed]} On Russian television the event was most fully described on national channel Ren-TV. The pictures showed violent clashes of OMON with protesters.

Gazprom Media-owned NTV gave only a brief account of the event (Photo), and in a special report about strategies of contention of the major parties prior to elections mentioned the March as a minor political event (Video).

Channel One described the rally as "a clash with police, provoked by hooligans".^[5]

State-owned Russia channel reported on the March: "Authorities of St. Petersburg called an attempt to carry out unsanctioned action of protest in centre of the city a provocation. Radicals of all kinds — from fascists to leftists, calling themselves "uncompromising opposition", carried out the 'March of the Discontented' at Nevsky. The Governor of the "Northern Capital" Valentina Matviyenko has issued assurances that it was backed by the people who are against the political stability in the city before elections." "Valentina Matviyenko was outraged that organizers of the March called on the people to bring children and old men with them; many did so. Ranks of marching people completely blocked traffic at Ligovsky Prospect. Despite precautions and appeals to break up, the mass of extremist persuasion moved to Nevsky, provoking militia to use force."