The Other Russia Prepares Protests for March 3rd

The Executive Committee of The Other Russia opposition coalition has decided to stage a series of demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg on March 3rd, the day after Russia holds presidential elections. The protests, known as “Dissenters’ Marches” will also be held in a number of Russian regions, and will let Russians publicly speak their minds about the political climate in their country.

According to the coalition’s press agency, the primary slogans of the demonstrations will be: “Down with autocracy and succession!” “All power to the Constituent Assembly!” and “False-Dmitri out of the Kremlin!”

The nationwide protest action will commemorate a historic day in Russian history, when the Romanov dynasty abdicated power to the Constituent Assembly in 1917.

“The systematic and massive falsifications allowed in the December 2nd Parliamentary elections, and the designation of March 2nd as the formal date of power transfer from Vladimir Putin to Dmitri Medvedev violate the democratic foundation of the Russian Constitutional system,” the coalition wrote in a statement.

Past demonstrations have drawn thousands of participants, and have frequently been met with violence on the part of law enforcement. During the most recent set of protests in November, Garry Kasparov, the leader of the United Civil Front, and a leader of The Other Russia coalition was arrested and jailed for five days.