Russian Opposition To Hold Rally In St. Petersburg

Opposition leader Garry Kasparov says local officials have approved the rally.

Kasparov says that despite the approval he is concerned about possible "provocations" from police and pro-Kremlin youth groups.

Speaking to RFE/RL on the sidelines of a conference in Prague this week, Kasparov said he believes that mounting Western criticism led to the authorities approving the demonstration.

"They accepted the rally, they negotiated with us, they gave us the alternative route and it is in the center. But we don't know what kind of measures they will take to prevent us from having a successful rally," Kasparov said.

Kasparov pledged that the rally's organizers would do everything in their power to keep the demonstration peaceful.

In April, police violently broke up an opposition rally in St. Petersburg.

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org