Accessibility links

Breaking News

Putin Signs Law Outlawing Unregistered 'Road Rallies,' Tent Cities


A police officer walks past a line of trucks whose drivers are taking part in a protest against a new fee at a parking lot in the Moscow region in December 2015.
A police officer walks past a line of trucks whose drivers are taking part in a protest against a new fee at a parking lot in the Moscow region in December 2015.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that classifies motorcades and tent cities as forms of protest that must be registered and approved by authorities at least 10 days in advance to be legal.

The change to Russia's laws on demonstrations and protests was announced on March 9.

It follows a growing number of demonstrations by drivers driving together in protest parades in order to circumvent laws against unregistered and unapproved mass protests.

In December, Russian truck drivers targeted the country's new national highway toll system by converging on Moscow and snarling a key highway.

The new legislation signed by Putin essentially groups together such "road rallies" in the same legal category as political demonstrations.

With reporting by Interfax and TASS
  • 16x9 Image

    RFE/RL

    RFE/RL journalists report the news in 27 languages in 23 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG