Organizers of unauthorized rally took children to streets by deceit, putting their lives in danger - Peskov
MOSCOW. March 27 (Interfax) - Russian presidential press officer Dmitry Peskov has accused the organizers of the Sunday protest of having mislead people, including minors, provoking them to participate in an illegal event.
"The Kremlin respects people's civil position, respects their right to state their civil position, but we respect those situations when a civil position is stated in the format envisaged by the current legislation and in places authorized in accordance with our law," Peskov told reporters on Monday.
"But we cannot have the same respect for those who deliberately mislead people, as was done yesterday and the day before yesterday, provoking illegal actions," Peskov said.
"We cannot have respect for those who deliberately mislead minors, essentially children, by encouraging them, including promising some rewards, to participate in an unauthorized rally in an unauthorized place, thus jeopardizing the safety and even life of these children, minors," Peskov said, adding that "the Kremlin cannot agree with that and cannot respect that."
"Essentially, what we saw yesterday in some places, especially in Moscow, was a provocation and a lie. Because those who explained yesterday, using a very intricate, pseudo-academic language that the rally was legal and that it did not contradict the legislation in any way, they spoke pure lies. The rally was not authorized," Peskov said.
The Moscow authorities offered two alternative sites to the organizers of the event within the period of time established by law, he said. "Those sites were rejected. In actual fact, people were deliberately dragged to unauthorized locations. Of course, one cannot agree with that," he said.
Peskov said the Kremlin regrets that active citizens "did not want, probably large because of lack of knowledge, to use alternative sites." "In the future, it will always be possible for those who will wish, for those who want to act in strict accordance with our legislation, and there have never been any obstacles with that," Peskov said.
Commenting on the actions by the organizers of and participants in the opposition march in Moscow, Peskov said that "the people went to an unauthorized location at an unauthorized time."
"Moreover, they went to the center of the city, thus creating obstacles to traffic and jeopardizing the safety of a huge number of passers-by who are there on weekends. In this regard, it cannot be considered any action at all, it's a banned action - and that's how it should be treated," Peskov said.
