Mass protest in Arkhangelsk
ARKHANGELSK: Growing costs of communal services led to mass manifestation with political demands.
On Sunday, February 21, over 1500 people came to the central square of Arkhangelsk to demonstrate protest against social policy of the regional administration.
The meeting was initiated and organized the Communist Party but also supported by other opposition parties and the trade unions. The dramatic growth of costs for communal services in the beginning of the year caused a serious disappointment in the current social policy of the regional and federal authorities among the population.
The regional government announced the growth of practically all costs of communal services by 16% - 50% from the 1st of January this year.
Read also: Economical status reports from the Russian Barents Region.
The economic demands on the meeting soon have been changed to the political slogans against corruption in the regional government, domination in the political field of the party “Edunaya Rossiya” and for retirement of the Prime-Minister Vladimir Putin.
Also, parallel meetings were held in the neighboring to Arkhangelsk cities Severodvinsk and Novodvinsk.
