Makhachkala: 400 people attend rally on 1st anniversary of Crimea's accession to Russia

On March 18, Makhachkala hosted an All-Dagestani rally devoted to the 1^st anniversary of the Crimea's joining to Russia. The event was also attended by delegations from Kaspiysk, Buynaksk, and Kizlyar. Most of the participants of the rally were students and staff members of the public institutions of Makhachkala.

In his speech at the rally, Abdulla Magomedov, the Chairman of the Trade Union Association of Dagestan, has emphasized that "citizens of Crimea, like citizens of other countries, have the right to choose their own destiny."

People's Artist of Russia Aigum Aigumov, the head of the Union of theatrical figures of Dagestan, has called the day when Crimea joined Russia "a day of joy."

According to policemen on duty at the rally, the event held in the square was attended by about 400 people.

Some participants in the rally told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that many of them came to the event not by their own will.

"We were sent here by our administrator. She said that we are to attend the rally. It turns out that she also got an instruction from her chiefs. We were not asked whether we want to go here or not," said a participant of the rally, a staff member of one of the polyclinics in Makhachkala.

On March 18, southern Russia hosted a series of rallies in support of the Crimea's joining to Russia. According to the organizers or the police, the rallies were attended by different number of participants, from 20 people in Sochi up to 13,000 people in Krasnodar.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.