ONE DAY IN KHERSON
On freedom of assembly in Ukraine

On March 13, 2022, two assemblies were held in Kherson, which has been under the control of the Russian army since March 2.
One - in the city center on Freedom Square, under blue and yellow flags - against the Russian occupation, organized by a supporter of the Kiev authorities.
The second one is near the monument to those who died in the Great Patriotic War in the Park of Glory, under red flags, dedicated to the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Kherson from the Nazi invaders, organized by activists and the former mayor of the city Vladimir Saldo.
The first rally was not dispersed by the Russian army. Next rallies in
Kherson under blue-and-yellow flags also took place, although Russian troops used flash-noise grenades and shots in the air against their participants.
At the same time, any rallies in the part of Ukraine controlled by the Kiev authorities are prohibited due to martial law. No opposition rallies are possible here.
In Kherson, rallies dedicated to the liberation of the city from the fascist invaders took place until 2017, when the anti-fascist meeting was dispersed by ultra-right groups with the assistance of the police.
The anti-fascist rally on March 13, 2022 is the first in Kherson since 2017.
After this rally, its organizers, such as Kirill Stremousov, received death threats from supporters of Nazism and the Kiev authorities.
The political party "Vladimir Saldo Bloc", represented in the local authorities of the Kherson region, was banned on March 20, 2022 by a decree of President Zelensky.
On March 20, 2022, the assistant and driver of the ex-mayor of Kherson Saldo, Pavel Slobodchikov, left Saldo's house and was killed by unknown people. Whether this murder was connected with the organization of the anti-fascist rally on March 13 is also unknown.
Thus, the Kyiv authorities and Nazi formations continue to oppose anti-fascist and left-wing rallies even in the territory controlled by Russian troops, just as they have been opposing the last 8 years throughout Ukraine.