Rally For Fair Elections has just ended in Moscow. According to the oganisers, about 120,000 people participated in the demonstration in the centre of Moscow and a rally afterwards.

YABLOKO formed a party column within the demonstration. YABLOKO supporters held a huge banner “We demand new elections!”. There were also party flags and placards “Yavlinsky”.

Grigory Yavlinsky, party founder, spoke at the rally on behalf of YABLOKO:

“They wish to oust us all from elections. This won’t go!

This is our right and we are defending the future of our country.

We have gathered here so that to see that there many of us, that we are not alone, that a friend’s shoulder is by your side. We are different, but we all have three colours in common – the colours of the Russian flag.

All together we are defending the future of the country, the Constitution, freedom, life according to laws rather than arbitrary rule. It is important for us and we will never surrender.

Now the most important thing I would like to tell you is that life does no end on March 4 [the voting day of presidential elections] or March 5. This is only the beginning.

And our opponents and foes will see and realise – may be they realise – soon that it is a beginning for us, and an end for them.

This year we will create thousands of committees for the political reform, join us!

This year we will make them abolish censorship in the mass media.

This year we will make an extremely important thing – politically we will really unite.

We will prove that morals and ethics can be the main force both in politics and in Russia.

We love our country and we will not surrender it to thieves, fascists, Stalinists or other parasites.

Hugging you all and thank you! For freedom and justice! For our future! For our Russia!”

After Yavlinsky’s speech, co-moderator of the rally Eugenia Chirikova, ecologist and head of the Movement in Defence of Khimki Forest, read our a resolution in support of candidacy of Grigory Yavlinsky on the post of Russian President. “We demand that the decision of the Central Electoral Commission to refuse Grigory Yavlinsky registration in the presidential election campaign should be revoked.” “We demand to immediately register Grigory Yavlinsky candidate on the post of President of Russia.” The rally supported this resolution with a roar of approval.