Putin supporters, opposition to rally same day in Moscow

PanARMENIAN.Net - A rally in support of Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Putin will be held in Moscow on February 4, the day when a 50,000-strong opposition march will gather in downtown Moscow.

A deputy State Duma speaker and senior United Russia member, Sergei Neverov, denied the event was organized by his party, but said many party members are likely to attend.

“As far as I know, a rally in Moscow is planned on [February] 4th, and everyone is invited. I, personally, will also attend if I get an invitation from the organizing committee,” NIA Novosti quoted Neverov as saying.

Moscow’s City Hall authorized a 50,000-strong opposition march followed by a rally in downtown Moscow to protest the results of the December parliamentary elections.

The procession will be held within the boundaries of the Garden Ring, a circular avenue in the Russian capital’s center, on February 4.

Protesters will march down Bolshaya Yakimanka Street to Bolotnaya Square, a venue for previous large-scale protests against alleged fraud at the December 4 State Duma elections that critics claimed were marred by ballot stuffing and other irregularities. The event will culminate in a rally on the square.