Moscow Officials To Allow Opposition Rally

People attend For Fair Elections rally in Moscow December 24, 2011

The Moscow Mayor's Office has agreed to allow organizers to hold a For Fair Elections rally on February 4.

Moscow Deputy Mayor Aleksandr Gorbenko confirmed late on January 25 that the mayor's office had agreed to "one of the proposed variants for an action."

Gorbenko said rally organizers had permission to hold a rally with up to 50,000 people participating.

The coordinator of the opposition Left Front movement, Sergei Udaltsov, said Moscow officials granted permission to gather at the Oktyabrskaya subway station and march along Bolshaya Yakimanka Street to Bolotnaya Square, scene of an opposition rally in December.

The march and rally are scheduled to happen between 12 and 3 pm.

Udaltsov said there was a slight chance city officials could change the route.

(compiled from agency reports)