Moscow officials reject protest march plan

MOSCOW, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Moscow authorities rejected a plan by critics of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to hold a march with up to 50,000 people in the city, citing security concerns.

The activists planned the march for Feb. 4, a month before presidential elections, along Garden Ring Road in downtown Moscow, RIA Novosti reported Saturday. More than 20,000 people have signed up on Facebook to participate in the march.

But Deputy Mayor Alexander Gorbenko said, "The route cannot be approved due to security concerns."

Gorbenko proposed moving the march to Feb. 5, a Sunday, at another location and reducing the number of protesters to 10,000.

Dmitry Bykov, a writer and opposition activist, told the Kommersant-FM radio station organizers of the Feb. 4 march would discuss alternative routes. But he said an unauthorized protest could proceed if negotiations with city officials fail.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/01/21/Moscow-officials-reject-protest-march-plan/UPI-90751327201795/#ixzz1kARgNa14

A permit for protest? Doesn't seem very democratic to me. Tsk-tsk on those Russians!