Russian Opposition Plans Next Mass Protest In Spring

(RIA Novosti – January 20, 2013)

The opposition Coordination Council has decided to hold the next mass protest march in spring, Russian RIA Novosti news agency reported on 20 January.

Twenty-six members of the Coordination Council voted for the proposal “to hold a nationwide mass protest in spring 2013, with the working title March against the Hangmen”. The exact date and the final title will be determined by the relevant working group.

The Coordination Council supported Left Front coordinator Sergey Udaltsov’s proposal to hold a protest at 1400 Moscow time on 26 January to demand the release of political prisoners.

The Coordination Council set up 10 working groups, such as a group for organizing public events, for the regional development of the council, budget, foreign affairs, information policy, campaigning and a group for drawing up the council’s programme and development strategy.

Member of the Coordination Council’s budget group Vladimir Ashurkov reported on the council’s budget. “In the last three months, over R460,000 was collected; R82,000 was spent on organizing the December meeting, R200,000 on help to political prisoners and on lawyers’ fees. The balance is R177,000,” Ashurkov said.