Moscow authorities will only sanction the mass opposition rally on June 12 at either of the two routes proposed by the City Hall, ignoring all alternatives named by organizers, a city official said on Wednesday.
Options for the opposition’s march, set for Russia Day, include downtown Prospekt Akademika Sakharova and the Frunzenskaya Embankment, said Alexei Mayorov, who oversees the regional safety department at City Hall.
Rally organizers have not commented on the proposal as of Wednesday afternoon. They said earlier that they insist on a venue inside the Garden Ring, a 16-kilometer road encircling Moscow’s center. Prospekt Akademika Sakharova intersects it while the embankment is located outside.
City authorities will only be closing down central streets for sports and cultural events but not political rallies on Russia Day, Mayorov said. Red Square will be closed for five days until the evening of June 12 to prepare for festivities, the Federal Guard Service said earlier.
Mass anti-Kremlin rallies attracting tens of thousands have been ongoing in the capital since December. The latest event on May 6 erupted in violence, with protesters clashing with police who detained some 650 people, according to rights activists.
Activists have also been attempting to stage unsanctioned protest events in recent months, including on Red Square, which was closed down by authorities before to prevent them from gathering there.
