On October 10, a rally dedicated to current political events including protests in Khabarovsk and Belarus, as well as the threat of gold mining in the Yugyd Va National Park of the Komi Republic, was held in Theater Square of Syktyvkar. About 15 people came to "feed pigeons". The event was broadcast by the SotaVision Project.
The rally began with a one-person picket. The activists took turns holding a poster saying, "Enough, we are done! We need to change the current power! Russia must unite against Putin to get rid of thieves in the Kremlin." Later, another slogan appeared — "Police and Special Police Force, going against the people, are worse than bandits. Khabarovsk, stay strong!". The others stood in groups and discussed a variety of topics: the crackdown in Khabarovsk, which first happened on October 10, protests in Belarus, violations during gubernatorial and State Council elections in Komi, attempts of industrialists to start gold mining in the Yugyd Va National Park, suicide of journalist Irina Slavina from Nizhny Novgorod, loads of liquor stores in the town. The audience shared dissatisfaction with the government and its politics.
Screenshot from SotaVision’s video
“I have lived in this country for a very long time, I am over 40, and year after year I have been watching the country slide into the gloom of poverty in terms of the well-being of citizens,” one of the participants of the rally said. “I have noticed on my own example and on the example of many people around me that purchasing power is decreasing, that people are losing confidence in the future. They do not have any guarantees for a pension, a decent salary, decent housing, even plainly decent food. Many of them literally live below the poverty line. <...> А new era must come. New people must come who will stop complaining about the lack of time and harsh conditions, will take the matter in hand and make our country great and prosperous not only in word, but also in deed.”
The rally lasted about an hour, and there were no detentions. Several plain-clothed police officers stood aside, viewing the happenings and filming the audience.
Uncoordinated protests in Khabarovsk due to the arrest of Sergei Furgal, the former Governor of the region, have been held daily for three months. On October 10, Special Police Force broke up a rally near the regional government’s building for the first time, having severely detained 25 people, according to DVHab. Several tents set up by protesters in Lenin Square were the reason for the crackdown. Security forces broke the nose of one of the detainees, another one — driver of the "furgalomobile" Andrei Maklygin — lost consciousness, as he was beaten on the head with batoons.
On Sunday, October 11, about 500 people held another rally at the government of Khabarovsk Krai. The crowd sang Svyashchennaya Voyna (‘The Sacred War’) and criticized the government. There were no detentions during the rally.
