Protests against the constitutional reform that Vladimir Putin announced in a message to the Federal Assembly on January 15 have begun in Russia . In Yaroslavl, Yaroslav Sirotkin came out to express his position. On January 18, the LGBT activist held a one-person picket at the Znamenskaya tower, urging passers-by to pay attention to the proposed amendments to the Constitution.
Sirotkin held the picket with a poster on one side of which was the inscription: "Protect the Constitution from arbitrary rule", on the other — "Thank you President for poverty war corruption and fictions". There were no commas for a reason — everyone could choose what they encountered from this set.
— The President is trying to change the framework law for himself, - Yaroslav Sirotkin commented on his picket to the correspondent of 7x7. — I believe that this a dangerous practice that will result into a totalitarian state. The dangerous practice of denying the rule of international law can deprive citizens of their last hope for a fair trial and respect for human rights.
Several passers-by debated with the activist, the others expressing their negative attitude to the constitutional reform. Sirotkin called on them to prepare for the referendum, write letters to the Federation Council, go to pickets, and distribute information. In his opinion, the picket was effective.
— The President promises again, but the experience has proven that he will let us down. They are trying to win us with increased pensions and maternity capital again. A few people think about what this will lead to. We have a very weak economy with a high level of corruption. All these "social reforms" will lead to a rise in inflation, and therefore to impoverishment of the people. At the same time, they will us our own money for all these miracles. Stop believing in fairy tales about the "magic and endless" National Welfare Fund! The Constitution is not a free composition. You can't just rewrite it. This reduces its legitimacy. Let the authorities learn to comply with the existing Constitution, rather than scribble. We have an excellent Constitution, born in the throes of 1993. It's time to remind the President that the people are the power! - says the activist.
President Vladimir Putin addressed the Federal Assembly on January 15. In his speech, he stated the need to introduce new benefits for families with children (provide the maternity capital for the first child, free lunch for schoolchildren from the first to fourth grade, payments for children from three to seven years from poor families and so on) and to amend the Constitution. In particular, to limit the President's time in power to two terms rather than two consecutive terms, introduce a new agency in the Constitution — the State Council (which is an advisory body currently), expand the powers of the State Duma to form a government, and fix in the Constitution that international law should not have full priority over Russian laws. Representatives of the Kallisto LGBT Community assume that the latest change may result in a "ban on appealing to the European Court of Human Rights under Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offences (Propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships among minors)".
