Their appeals ranged from the preservation of green spaces and architectural landmarks, to opposition to toll roads, demolition projects and cuts to social benefits. Some groups reportedly submitted hundreds of pages of signatures at a time.
Organizers of the latest “mass filing of petitions,” which included former presidential hopeful Boris Nadezhdin and opposition figure Yulia Galyamina, emphasized this was not a protest but a legal form of civic engagement that cannot be banned.
Eyewitness accounts and independent media outlets such as Sotavision, RusNews and Activatica reported lines stretching 70-115 meters (230-380 feet) at their peak.
One of the organizers told the Agentstvo investigative news outlet on condition of anonymity that 400 people stood in line at one point during the 5.5-hour event.
Estimates ranged between 800 and 1,000 participants by the end of the day, although counts could not be independently verified
