Anti-war rally to be held in Moscow despite ban

This evening, Muscovites will take to the streets to mourn those killed in Eastern Ukraine in the so-called “Evening of Memory and Mourning.”

City authorities have twice refused to approve the rally, originally planned as an anti-war march. After the second ban the organizers decided just to come to Pushkin Square with flowers and anti-war children’s drawings, without signs or slogans. Activists, including representatives of the Russian Maidan solidarity committee, will collect letters of support for Ukrainians who were killed in the battle against separatists. Then a group of people, without chanting or signs, will march to Ukraine’s embassy to hand over those letters. They are going to lay flowers and light candles at the embassy.

The anti-war event’s organizers urge everyone who supports to cause to go out to their balconies, yards, and streets and light memorial candles.

One of the activists, Pavel Shelkov, told Radio Svoboda that the rally in Moscow would take place simultaneously with solidarity action in other countries.

Translated by Kirill Mikhailov, edited by Elizabeth Martin