Paul
Goble
Staunton, December 30 – Most protest
movements in Russia are in hibernation during the long winter holidays between
December 25 and January 6, talking about future plans perhaps but not trying to
compete with celebrations of the New Year and the two Christmases, Russian and
Western.
One group is not waiting, however;
and it is likely to be the first of the mark in 2020. Kalmyks who oppose the
assignment of Dmitry Trapeznikov as mayor of their republic capital have scheduled
a mass meeting for Sunday, January 5. Officials have given permission even though
its basic slogan is as before “Trapeznikov, Go!” (fedpress.ru/news/08/policy/2402286).
In fact, the Kalmyk activists have continued
their protests online right through the holidays most recently attracting 5900
participants to a YouTube online protest against Trapeznikov, an ethnic Russian
without ties to the republic who earlier worked for the Russian occupation
forces in Ukraine’s Donbass (https://fedpress.ru/news/08/policy/2396538).
Three days ago, the Kalmyk
authorities added to the anger of the protesters by refusing to register the
Forum Kalmykia as a legal person. Officials said that the group had not
specified its purpose or even an address for its headquarters, but opposition groups
say that it is all about limiting protests against the Trapeznikov appointment (fedpress.ru/news/08/policy/2400586).
The new plan to shift back to public
protests from online ones appears to be the opposition’s response to this
action.
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