17.05.2017, Russia.
The protest against the proposed apartment renovation law in Moscow may have devastating consequences for the state if other protest movements join it, according to a correspondent of the Rossa Primavera News Agency, who visited the rally against apartment renovations in Moscow on May 14.
Many Moscow residents concerned about the large scale housing demolition program, which includes both structures fit for living and historic buildings with cultural heritage, gathered for a massive rally.
It should be noted that the people gathered not against the renovation itself, but against the way in which it was presented to the public. According to the residents who came to the rally, the renovation law proposal puts property rights at risk.
Initially, the organizers stressed the non-political nature of this event.
“Generally speaking, we wanted to stay as far away from politics as possible. Ordinary Moscow residents do not go out to protest for such (political) causes. It was important for us to mobilize ordinary people like ourselves”, says Ekaterina Vinokurova, the organizer of the rally.
Nevertheless, posters with visible political content, slogans to overthrow the government, and calls to vote for “the correct” (political) parties were heard from the stage.
“It was not difficult to predict that such a massive resettlement project would cause numerous protests. This proposal is very similar to the self-destructive public reforms of the 1990s, when the whole governing system of the Soviet Union was undermined. Just like then, the political opposition forces may take advantage of a large public gathering concerned over proposed public policy to try to turn it into a coup d’état”, concludes the Rossa Primavera News Agency correspondent.
* The original of the picture is by (cc) trolleway.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
