Russia: Protest marches planned for Moscow May 28

Event

Media reports indicate two marches in protest of a recently proposed mass housing renovation project are planned to occur between 13:00 and 16:00 (local time) in Moscow on Sunday, May 28. One march will begin to the north of the city center and march along Petrovsky, Rozhdestvenskiy, and Sretensky Boulevards before finishing at Academician Sakharov Prospect. The second will take place to the south of the city outside the Third Ring Road in the Academichesky District. It will follow follow Vavilova Street, between Akademika Zelinskogo and Dmitriya Ulyanova street. Both marches have been approved by government officials and will likely be attended by several thousand people; similar protests occurred on Sunday, May 14, in downtown Moscow with as many as 30,000 in attendance.

The protests are taking place the same day as cities around the country celebrate Border Guards Day. According to the United States Embassy in Moscow, activities and large groups are expected to take place in parks throughout the country. During past celebrations, brawls and other incidents of public disorder have occurred. Expect increased security measures around all public gatherings and tourist locations.

Context

Demonstrators are protesting a draft law that has been proposed by Mayor Sergei Sobyanin - initially with the support of President Vladimir Putin, although he has since softened his stance - that would replace roughly 4500 Soviet-era apartment buildings, mostly from the '50s and '60s, that currently house some 1.6 million people. The details of the proposal are vague, but those being displaced would be forced to abandon their current apartments and move into new, more modern apartment buildings. Opponents of the plan have characterized it as a scheme to enrich the powerful construction industry, among other criticisms.

More generally, political tensions are high throughout Russia. On April 27, Russia's primary opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, was attacked outside of the offices of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). Unidentified attackers threw antiseptic green dye in his face for the second time this year. Navalny and hundreds of other demonstrators were arrested in anti-corruption protests that brought tens of thousands of people to the streets of cities across Russia on March 26. These were the largest coordinated protests in Russia since 2012 and, in central Moscow alone, some 700 protesters were allegedly arrested for participating in the event. Navalny spent 15 days in prison following the protests. Police and military security personnel responded to the protests in Moscow and elsewhere with barricades and tear gas; some violent clashes between police and protestors were reported in the capital. Additional, smaller protests have occurred in the intervening weeks.

Advice

Individuals present in Russia are advised to avoid all demonstrations and to anticipate transportation disruptions in the vicinity of public gatherings. It is advised to always carry proper identification papers and to cooperate with local authorities as identity checks are likely to increase during this period. Travelers should be aware that large public gatherings in Europe have been targeted by terrorist attacks in recent years; remain vigilant.