Topic:
Country: Russian Federation
Delegate Name: Allyson Gilliland
A peaceful protest is an act of expressing a disapproving nature through action or statement with no use of violence. This can also be referred to as a non-violent resistance or nonviolent action of the people. A peaceful protest can be used to show the disapproval of many things, ranging from racial inequality, for example, the George Floyd protests in the United States, to the repaving of a sidewalk near a veterans memorial. While there is no UN law giving countries the right to let their citizens do this, many countries have allowed it anyway. Other countries have no wish for their citizens to have the right to peaceful protesting.
The Russian Federation wishes to remain impartial on the topic of peaceful protest. While the Russian Federation wrote in article 31 of the Constitution adopted in 1993: Citizens of the Russian Federation shall have the right to assemble peacefully, without weapons, hold rallies, meetings, and demonstrations, marches, and pickets. Any violence committed by our police force during the showing of a peaceful protest was not commanded by a higher power and was the act of that officer alone. We do not condone the violence against peaceful protestors and wish that they continue to protest peacefully and speak their mind.
The Russian Federation would like nothing more than what is currently in place to pass as a resolution. Anything more than what is current would be forcing countries against peaceful protest into an unwanted situation or could potentially back them into a corner. No resolution should be passed that is imposing on the rights of other countries. Each nation should have the right to decide whether or not they want these laws. And if a resolution does pass, we hope it is for the freedom of choice on the matter and does not require anything from unwilling countries.
