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Viewing cable 09VLADIVOSTOK8, RIVAL VLADIVOSTOK DEMONSTRATIONS HELD WITHOUT VIOLENCE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09VLADIVOSTOK8 2009-02-02 05:34 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Vladivostok
VZCZCXRO0380
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHCHI RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHDT RUEHFL RUEHHM RUEHIK
RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNH RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK
RUEHSR RUEHYG
DE RUEHVK #0008 0330534
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 020534Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1071
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 1170
UNCLAS VLADIVOSTOK 000008 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PGOV SOCI RS
SUBJECT: RIVAL VLADIVOSTOK DEMONSTRATIONS HELD WITHOUT VIOLENCE 
 
1.  Summary.  Government detractors and supporters held 
simultaneous demonstrations in Vladivostok on Saturday, January 
31.  Though police presence was heavy throughout the city, with 
militia men at nearly every intersection downtown, and despite 
the Communists' insistence on holding the rally in an 
unauthorized location, there were no reports of violence. 
Smaller anti-government rallies were held throughout Primorye. 
 
Rival Demonstrations Orderly, Well-Attended 
------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  The Communist-organized anti-government rally began in a 
park in the downtown area of Vladivostok with about 500 party 
supporters and members of the NGO TIGR (Community of Initiative 
Groups of Russia).  The group then marched towards the train 
station in the center of the city, gathering and additional 500 
participants along the way.   At its peak, about 2,500 
participants gathered under Lenin's outstretched arm across from 
the station, though official media placed the number at 400. 
The Lenin statue is at the top of a long staircase that was 
filled with banners and protesters who were enthusiastic despite 
the negative 11 degree Celsius temperature.  The protest was 
orderly and well organized, with loudspeakers and an apparent 
agenda.  It lasted for about two hours and featured an open 
microphone for participants to voice their concerns. A nearby 
cafi was filled with protestors as they came in to warm up after 
voicing their discontent. 
 
3.  The Yedinaya Rossiya-sponsored pro-government rally had a 
decidedly more upscale look, with many participants arriving via 
Lexus and other luxury cars.  It took place in front of an 
historic submarine at the port of Vladivostok less than a 
kilometer from the rival rally.  The rally lasted about thirty 
minutes and attracted about 2,000 participants who, according to 
Consulate contacts, were strongly "advised" to attend by their 
supervisors at work or administrators at their universities. 
Participants declared agreement the Kremlin's economic crisis 
amelioration measures, support for domestic automobile 
manufacturers, and confidence in plans for the APEC Forum. 
Primorye Governor Sergei Darkin spoke and several State Duma 
deputies arrived from Moscow, including Vladimir Pekhtin, who 
represents Primorye in Moscow and is said to be a future 
contender for the Governor's position. 
 
Authorities Choose Lower Profile 
-------------------------------- 
 
4.  Authorities appear to have wanted to keep a low profile 
during this demonstration and avoid attention like that brought 
from last month's well-publicized violence.  While police 
presence was heavy throughout Vladivostok, with militia men at 
nearly every intersection downtown and all security personnel in 
the Kray officially on call for the whole weekend, there were no 
arrests of protesters, and OMON forces kept their distance.  One 
motorist was briefly detained for driving too slowly near the 
anti-government protest site, raising suspicion with a militia 
officer that he was planning to intentionally cause a traffic 
slowdown. 
 
5.  One potential flashpoint was that organizers vowed earlier 
in the week to hold their protest downtown, despite that fact 
that authorities had granted permission only for gathering at 
remote area of the city.  In an apparent effort to avoid the 
conflict that occurred during the last demonstration, the Head 
of Kray Department of Interior called a meeting with protest 
organizers and Friday, and implied that he ignore their 
violation of their permit if they could "be responsible for 
order" during the rally. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
6.  Immediately after December's violent crackdown on 
demonstrators, debate arose among authorities both in Moscow and 
locally about how to handle further rallies.  As reported 
earlier in the Vladivostok Three-Minute Briefing, the debate led 
to disagreement at the highest level, with Putin urging a harder 
crackdown and Medvedev advocating a softer approach.  In 
Vladivostok, Governor Darkin reportedly also favored tougher 
action, while Vice-Governors below him hoped for less conflict. 
Given the fact that no violence occurred during this latest 
demonstration, and that OMON Zubr Special Forces were not called 
in from Moscow to assist this time, it is clear that, at least 
for this demonstration, authorities chose to avoid violence and 
further bad press.  There will surely be more demonstrations, 
though nothing has been announced yet. 
 
ARMBRUSTER