Moscow authorities did not coordinate the “Year of Hell” rally because of the coronavirus

The Moscow City Hall did not coordinate the “Year of Hell” rally on the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine due to the coronavirus.

The application for holding a rally on February 24 on Lubyanskaya Square was submitted by activist Maksym Lypkan. The City Hall replied that there is a ban on holding public events in Moscow due to the epidemiological situation and anti-coronavirus restrictions.

At the same time, according to RBC, the Kremlin plans to hold a rally-concert in Moscow for 200 thousand people before the anniversary of the war – on February 22. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to perform at the concert. It is reported that the crowd is being recruited for the event for 500 rubles.

Lypkan announced that he would appeal the refusal to hold an anti-war rally in court, and created a chat to coordinate the action on Lubyanka, reminded of the constitutional right of Russians to peaceful protest.

• Moscow authorities canceled almost all anti-coronavirus measures in the city back in March 2022. However, the ban on holding mass events, introduced with the beginning of the spread of COVID-19 in Russia in 2020, remained in force. In July, the mayor’s office announced that it would lift the ban when the World Health Organization announced the end of the pandemic. As of mid-February, the pandemic in the world is officially ongoing.
• Referring to the situation with the coronavirus, the authorities of Moscow and other Russian regions do not coordinate opposition and anti-war mass events – they even detain individual picketers. At the same time, pro-government and pro-war actions are held without hindrance. Tens of thousands of people gathered at the March rally-concert in Luzhniki, in which Russian President Vladimir Putin participated.