Krasnoyarsk Authorities Prohibit Anti-Protest Rally Amid Ongoing Military Operation

Authorities in Krasnoyarsk, a city in Siberia, have prohibited a scheduled protest against limitations on public demonstrations, according to a regional lawmaker leading the initiative, who made the announcement on Monday.

Krasnoyarsk City Hall stated that “public events are not permitted during the special military operation” declared by President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, in response to the protest petition.

Officials also mentioned that municipal work was planned for the city square where the march was intended to occur on March 25.

Alexei Boykov, a member of the Krasnoyarsk regional assembly who sought permission for the protest, described the ban as unconstitutional.

“The declaration of a special military operation cannot solely justify this denial,” Boykov asserted in a Telegram post.

He accused local officials of double standards, pointing out that they continue to host their own public activities while using wartime regulations to suppress opposition demonstrations. He has requested that prosecutors evaluate the legality of the prohibition.

Boykov, affiliated with the far-right Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), expressed his discontent, stating, “I view this response as yet another affront and mockery of the law.”

His initial protest request was made on behalf of animal rights advocates who had previously been denied permission to rally against a federal bill permitting the euthanasia of stray dogs. That protest had been rejected on the grounds of Covid-19 restrictions.