Grozny state servants claim being forced to take part in a rally

In the evening on March 18, in Grozny, about 70,000 people came for a rally dedicated to the anniversary of the Crimea's entry into Russia, the Chechen authorities reported. Teachers and students claimed being obliged to take part in the rally.

The rally began at about 9:00 p.m. Moscow time and lasted two hours, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by Petimat, a teacher from a Grozny school. "We were taken to the city centre right from the polling station, where we stayed all day until the voting finished. And after that we had to spend other two hours at the rally," the teacher said.

The appearance at the rally was mandatory for students, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by Shamil, a student of the Grozny University. "We also got instructions to bring to the rally our relatives or friends with us. At the place, we were handed over flags of Russia and Chechnya, various posters and banners, and we had a rally. Later, there were a concert, dancing and festivities. There were a lot of people, they were taken to the place by buses and route taxis, and many arrived in their private cars," the student said.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.