On the evening of August 27, the city administration revoked its approval for a Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) picket because the party’s social media posts about the event included the hashtag #FairElections. City Hall said the hashtag changed the stated purpose of the picket. The Communists plan to challenge the decision in court.
The August 28 rally was intended to call for fair elections, support CPRF State Duma deputy Oleg Mikhailov and the party’s federal list, and protest the removal of Saratov Communist Nikolay Bondarenko from the election.
Officials initially banned the picket on August 25, saying the phrase “for fair elections” could be interpreted ambiguously. The Communists agreed to remove the phrase and submitted a new notification. City Hall approved the picket on August 27.
