Moscow Communist rally turns political as chants of "Down with the Tsar!" lead to dozens of detentions

On Sunday, October 4, Moscow hosted a commemorative event organized by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation that had been approved in advance by authorities, but it evolved into a politically charged march, according to independent Russian media outlets.

The event marked the anniversary of the events of October 4, 1993, when during Russia's constitutional crisis, army and special forces units stormed the so-called White House — the building of the Supreme Council where opponents of then-President Boris Yeltsin had entrenched themselves. Official figures state that 74 people died and 172 were injured on that day.

From commemoration to political chants

Participants gathered at Krasnopresnenskaya Zastava Square, where Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov spoke, before the march proceeded toward a memorial site for those killed in the 1993 events. Estimates of participant numbers vary widely across sources, ranging from several hundred to roughly two thousand.

As the march progressed, the mood grew markedly more political, with chants including "Down with the Tsar!", "We want freedom!", "Down with Roskomnadzor!", "No to political repression!", "Freedom for political prisoners!" and "Down with the party of crooks and thieves!". Former Moscow City Duma deputy Yevgeny Stupin said the chant "Down with the Tsar!" in particular triggered more active detentions.

Dozens detained

Police forces had already been deployed at the square beforehand, and detentions began even before the march started — several young people were taken away, including some carrying Russian and former East German flags. Initial reports cited around 20 detainees, but the figure later rose to roughly 60 according to other media outlets and eyewitnesses, with exact numbers differing between sources.

Reports also circulated suggesting some detainees might be members of the Yabloko party, which the party's press service did not confirm, stating it had no information about an organized participation by its members in this event.

While some participants voiced sharp discontent with the current political system and repression, the available information does not indicate a broader wave of protest across Russia — this was a specific, pre-approved Moscow event.