Permission required for making snowmen or reciting poetry in park
Euroradio has found out what the new Law “On mass actions” that came into power on November 27 is going to mean for us.
Euroradio decided to organize an action: to make snowmen with listeners in the first snows of winter. We planned to announce the time and venue on the Internet. However, the new law “On mass actions” warns: the police may consider it to be an unauthorized action.
Head of the ideology department of Kirau District Executive Committee Andrei Karpuk has confirmed it.
Andrei Karpuk: “I will be a mass action. You have to ask the head of the District Executive Committee for permission!”
A member of the ideology department of Horki District Executive Committee has given a few pieces of advice on what to do to receive officials’ permission.
Horki District Executive Committee ideologist: “Any street action initiated by someone comes under the law “On mass actions”. You should send an application to the head of the district executive committee. It would be better to do it 15 days before the event. Do not invite more than 1.5 thousand people or there may be problems”.
Head of Valozhyn District Executive Committee Pyotr Bibik has explained what officials will do considering our applications for making snowmen.
Pyotr Bibik: “It should not cause problems for traffic and the time and venue will be taken into account. The number of participants is also important – a check-point is required if it is a mass action. The District Department of the Interior should provide security”.
Euroradio wondered whether it was possible to invite friends to a birthday party near a lake or to recite poetry at home or in a park with the help of an announcement on the Internet without having to ask the authorities for permission and without any problems with the police.
Head of the ideology department of Kirau District Executive Committee Andrei Karpuk reassured us: you can organize birthday parties.
Andrei Karpuk: It is not a political action, it will not be affected by the law. Actions are aimed at solving some problems. People express their opinions. But this is your personal pastime so I do not think that it is comes under the law”.
Reciting poetry is more difficult. In the official’s opinion, there should be no problems if you do it in a flat, however, it is better to ask for permission in the District Executive Committee if you want to do it in a park.
Andrei Karpuk: “Reciting verses for your friends is one thing, but reciting poetry in a square is different… If you announce that you will recite poetry on the Internet it will be affected by the law. You have to find it out in any case”.
The officials’ responses made us wonder whether it was necessary to ask the local authorities for permission for every meeting or appointment in the street. It turned out that officials were not ready to answer the question.
Andrei Karpuk: “The law should be studied thoroughly and we need specialists’ explanations. We should ask those who wrote the law. Some movements need explanation for ordinary citizens although the law should be clear and intelligible”.
All the officials we talked to confessed that they also had questions about the law and were hoping to receive further comment on its application in the future.
Photo by: http://fota.bymedia.net/
