Writers helped lead a march of some 10,000 people in Moscow on May 13, 2012. The marchers did not claim that their "control walk" was an anti-government march outright as they did not chant political slogans or similar things. The police let them march without harassment. No one was arrested. While Moscow police said less than 3,000 attended, AFP correspondents confirmed about 10,000 participated in the control walk, which was a symbol of opposition against Russian President Vladimir Putin's new presidency.
Our contributor wrote: About 10,000 people, including several acclaimed writers, joined a march against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Writers lead “Control Walk” opposition march in Moscow. Novelist Boris Akunin, poet Dmitry Bykov, musician Andrei Makarevich, novelist Lyudmila Ulitskaya were joined in the march. Writers accompanied by thousands of Muscovites strolled down the Boulevard Ring road from the Monument to Pushkin to the Monument to Griboyedov. Nobody was detained by police. Akunin and his supporters ended their “stroll” at a five-day-old opposition camp in downtown Moscow’s trendy Chistye Prudy neighborhood.