Moscow’s ‘Hyde Park’ speakers’ corner hosts non-political rallies on first day

(Interfax – Moscow, May 1, 2013) A rally promoting European electronic music in Russia was the first event held at the “Hyde Park” (speakers’ corner) that opened in Moscow’s Gorkiy Park on Wednesday (1 May), the creator of Hardcore Russia TV, Yuriy Markin, has said.

“We are pioneers, the first people who held an action in this ‘Hyde Park’. We gathered here at seven o’clock in the morning, we love it here. We want to draw attention to hardcore music, because hardcore is great music. In terms of strength, energy and perception, there is not much music like this out there,” Yuriy Markin said.

(Passage omitted: Markin said the event had been attended by about 50 people, while two police officers present at the rally said that it had been attended by about 20 people. There were no incidents.)

As reported earlier, the so-called “Hyde Parks” – venues where public actions can be held without notifying the authorities – are open in Moscow’s Gorkiy and Sokolniki parks from 1 May. In order to hold an action at these venues, it is sufficient to send a notice to the administration of the park, which can be done electronically as well, not earlier than 15 days and not later than three days prior to the event, to book a time slot.

Meanwhile, the opening of the “Hyde Parks” does not mean that the legislation restricts the possibility of holding public actions at other venues in Moscow, including its centre.

The “Hyde Parks” are situated on an embankment in Gorkiy Park near Krymskiy Bridge, with the maximum number of participants of 2,000, and in Sokolniki Park’s Green Theatre, with the maximum number of participants of 1,500. At these venues, one can freely express opinions on various issues of political, economic, social and cultural life of the country and the city and foreign policy issues.

Rallies in the “Hyde Parks” can be held every day from 0700 to 2200.

It is planned that on the first day the Gorkiy Park venue will host four actions: promotion of European electronic music in Russia (from 0700 to 1000, 100 participants); a rally against domestic insolence (from 1200 to 1300, 1,000 participants); a rally of single girls (from 1500 to 1700, 300 participants); and “Labour Day celebration in a different context” (from 1900 to 2200, 300 participants).