20:30, 17 July 2009

Picket in memory of Natalia Estemirova held in Moscow

The picket in memory of the assassinated employees of the Grozny "Memorial" Natalia Estemirova lasted in the Novopushkinskiy Mini-Park of Moscow for one and a half hours. Over 200 persons came to commemorate the human rights activist and express protest against events in Chechnya. At 7:17 p.m. the militiamen who surrounded the site allocated for the picket demanded the participants to disperse.

The picket passed without statements and speeches. Many of the participants stood silently and held photos of the perished human rights activist in their hands.

The militiamen, who surrounded a small site in the Novopushkinskiy Mini-Park with metal fences, organized a passage regime for entering to the picket territory.

A unit of Moscow OMON (riot police) was sent to help them; however, law enforcers did not come into the territory of the action.

At 7:17 p.m., militiamen asked the picketers to leave the area, saying that "another event will take place here."

After they dispersed, three girls with posters in protest against change of "Harry Potter" film director appeared in the territory still surrounded by militiamen.

Author: Dmitry Florin

Source: CK correspondent