In late February and early March 2026, residents of at least 11 Russian cities tried to file notices for rallies and pickets against the throttling and blocking of popular messengers, primarily Telegram. Some events were approved, but in many places local authorities refused permission, citing snow, repairs, public safety concerns, or continuing coronavirus restrictions.
One of the most striking refusals came in Barnaul. The Communist Party filed notice for a March 9 rally against political repression and internet blocking, but the mayor’s office said the very subject of the protest did not match Russian reality. Officials argued that references to political repression and the blocking of popular internet resources were inconsistent with reality and pointed to constitutional guarantees of equal rights as support for that position.
In Novosibirsk, a protest against the blocks was due to take place on March 1 in a designated public space near the Globus Theater, where prior approval is not required. That morning, the area was cordoned off with warning tape under the pretext of inspecting trees, and municipal equipment was brought in. Organizer Sergei Krupenko was handed a warning and then detained while urging those gathered to disperse. Police detained 16 people in total, including members of the Revolutionary Communist Party (Internationalists), former deputy Anton Kartavin, and journalists; all were later released without charges.
In Kamchatka, officials refused to approve a rally against Telegram restrictions and the promotion of the state messenger MAX, citing uncleared snow, an emergency regime after cyclones, and a lack of equipment. Activists noted that on February 21, large Maslenitsa celebrations had been held in the city center without apparent difficulty. In Irkutsk, the mayor’s office initially approved a Yabloko rally for March 1, then unilaterally withdrew that approval, saying public attention to the event had grown and turnout might significantly exceed the declared number, creating a security risk.
In Khabarovsk, the Rassvet party first secured approval for a free internet rally in the Fleet Officers’ House park, but local authorities later said the site had been closed for repairs, even though, according to organizers, people were still walking there. In Voronezh, activists from the Organization of Voronezh Marxists said they were unable even to submit their documents: after a dispute with security staff, officials allegedly suggested replacing slogans with “approved” ones, asked personal questions, and hinted that participation in such protests could harm future careers.
In Moscow, Yabloko sought permission for a rally of up to 5,000 people, but the city rejected the request, citing the mayor’s June 8, 2020 decree banning mass events because of coronavirus. The party also said police visited one of the applicants, Kirill Goncharov, at home for what was described as a preventive conversation. In Vladivostok, deputies Aleksandr Sustov and Oleg Grigoryev were also denied permission, with continuing repair work at the proposed site given as the official reason.
Against the backdrop of repeated refusals, some actions still took place or remained pending. In Volgograd, a 20-year-old resident of Volzhsky filed notice for a three-hour rally in mid-March at Metallurgov Square for up to 200 participants; at the time of publication, the authorities had not yet responded. In Naryan-Mar, communists held an approved rally on February 28 against social media blocking and rising utility tariffs, while in Syktyvkar an approved Communist Party picket took place on February 20 with slogans against censorship and messenger restrictions.