Moscow police break-up opposition Communist Party rally against new ‘mandatory’ Covid-19 vaccination rules for some workers

A dozen people were arrested as Moscow police clamped down on an unsanctioned rally in the Russian capital, on Saturday, against compulsory Covid-19 vaccination for certain workers. It was organized by the local Communist Party.

The march was staged near Pushkinskaya Square in central Moscow and - despite the blazing 34 degrees Celsius temperature – a crowd of around a thousand gathered, according to media reports.

Local Communist politician Valery Rashkin had earlier announced that he would hold a meeting at the site. He had pledged to respect Covid-19 related guidelines.

Videos and photos from the scene captured several people with red flags being detained by police. Among the dozen arrested was Nikolay Zubrilin, who leads the party's faction in the capital’s legislature. The Communists, heirs to the mantle of the former Soviet Union's ruling faction, are Russia's second largest political grouping.

Amid a resurgence of Covid-19 cases across Russia in June, Moscow authorities have demanded businesses in sectors like hospitality, transport and leisure make sure that 60% of their staff are vaccinated or face hefty fines. Employers are also allowed to suspend unvaccinated workers without pay to meet the quotas.

With new daily reported infections in the country standing at around 20,000 and medics warning that hospitals could be overwhelmed, a dozen Russian regions have followed the capital’s example and also introduced compulsory vaccination in certain sectors of the economy. Eight more regions are planning to resort to similar measures starting from Monday.

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