UCF and LWF activists detained in Rostov-on-Don before March 31 action

On March 31, activists of the United Civil Front (UCF), Left-Wing Front (LWF) and other public organizations went out to their pre-applied action held under the all-Russian "Strategy 31" campaign in defence of Article 31 of the Constitution that assumes the freedom of assembly.

Let us remind you that initially their initially applied place of the rally - the area in front of the entrance to Gorky Park - was rejected by the city administration, which offered them some other - distant and deserted place.

Then warnings from the militia followed. Boris Batyi, leader of the Rostov UCF, was detained for distribution of leaflets, and "specialists" from "E Centre" had a prophylactic talk with him at a police station.

Later, a couple of days prior to the pre-planned action, letters were sent from Batyi's electronic address to activists of the organization, saying that the action was transferred to some other place. Having detected the fact, Boris made a new dispatch, having explained that the previous one was a forgery and everything remained as pre-planned.

As reported by the leader of the Rostov UCF himself, three persons were detained before the action. "Two more persons - Andrei Grekov, a UCF activist and former political prisoner, and myself were blocked in our own flats. They tried to break my door and rush in; and I noticed that I was shadowed," Mr Batyi said.

Nevertheless, the action took place. "We had to give up the format of a rally," Mr Batyi explained. "There were no speakers and no slogans. People just gathered and talked; there were a lot of media people present. About 50 persons came. They stood in the Sadovaya Street without symbols, posters and headers."

"We'll surely continue our actions, and on May 31 we invite Rostov residents to join us. The place is the same - near the monument to Lenin, in the Sadovaya Street," said the leader of the Rostov UCF.

Igor Maroseev, an expert on public relations of the administration of Rostov-on-Don, has explained the offer of the authorities to transfer the action on March 31 to the Sports Palace by the fact that in the evening a huge flow of people moves from the Gorky Park to public transport stops, located in the Sadovaya Street and Budyonov Avenue.

"The organizers, when submitting their applications, spoke about 50 potential participants. We didn't deprive them of their right to hold the action, but just asked to transfer it to another place, where they would not hamper the pedestrians. We thought about the interests of townspeople," said the city official. He also admitted that the held pickets were no obstacle to anybody in Sadovaya.