Protest rally in Sakharov Avenue adopts resolution

In Moscow, a rally against rigged elections to the Russian State Duma took place in Sakharov Avenue. Its participants adopted a final resolution.

Vladimir Ryzhkov, one of the moderators of the rally and a co-chair of the unregistered "People's Freedom Party", said that today Sakharov Avenue saw over 130,000 people. However, the police's estimate is much smaller – the website of the Moscow GUVD (Chief Interior Department) says that the event was attended by 30,000 people and was covered by more than 700 media professionals.

The resolution of the rally has seven points; and Vladimir Ryzhkov has promised: "If they are not accepted, we'll go out again and bring a million people with us."

The points are as follows: immediate release of all political prisoners and all knowingly wrongfully convicted inmates; abolition of the outcomes of the rigged elections; dismissal of the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Churov and investigation into his activities, violations and falsifications and punishment of those in charge; registration of all oppositional parties and adoption of democratic legislation on political parties and elections before February 2012; holding new, open and fair elections; and setting up the Moscow Union of Voters aimed to investigate violations, monitor elections and coordinate observers across the country.

The final claim runs: "We appeal to all citizens of Russia not to give a single vote to Vladimir Putin at the presidential election on March 4, 2012."

Each of the seven points of the resolution was cheerfully welcomed by the rally; and the last point has caused special enthusiasm.

The crowd was chanting all the time "Russia without Putin!". At this, the rally was over. The action organizers have announced that the location and time of the next protest action will be reported after the New Year.