Penza, 16 February 2013. PenzaNews. Rally against price increases and deterioration of social protection was held by supporters and members of the Communist Party of Russia in the square named after V. Belinsky in front of the Drama Theatre in Penza on Saturday, February 16. According to the Regional Committee of the Communist Party in Penza, about 500 people participated in the event, according to the Interior Ministry — 150, as calculated by the reporter of news agency PenzaNews — no more than 400.

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Several dozen protesters held flags with communist symbols and banners reading “Authorities! Give veterans travel passes back,” “Authorities! Give travel passes back to disabled,” “Housing services and utilities — stranglehold of people,” “Authorities! Give benefits back to labor veterans of the Penza region,” “Job cuts of officials, not the workers,” “Shame on United Russia for pittance of 300 rubles for veterans,” “Kindergarten is not a luxury,” and others.

According to the first secretary of the Communist Party and member of the Legislative Assembly of the Penza region Georgy Kamnev, today’s society is in chaos.

“Everyone instills ideology of individualism – every man is for himself, dog eat dog, earn as much as possible, take out loans – these ideas promote power. And the power is combined into the union of officials called United Russia, various corporations and military alliances. They give us the chaos, because they are afraid of organized resistance. There is the only principle: divide and conquer. And the more we are divided and think only about ourselves, the less strenth we have. We have to unite on the basis of socio-economic requirements. If today there were 10 thousand people standing here, there would be the extraordinary session of the Legislative Assembly on Monday, and the veterans were returned their benefits,” he said.

In turn, the deputy of the State Duma from the Communist Party Vladimir Simagin reminded that at the Soviet times, prices for food, utilities, clothing, and consumer goods declined in March every year.

“The older generation remembers it. Electricity cost 4 kopecks, bread – 16 kopecks. Life was getting better from year to year. And today utility tariffs are raising. The law on children of war is not brought up for discussion: the authorities do not wish to give money to those who, being children, raised our economy,” he said, adding that the head of Penza administration Roman Chernov can afford to go abroad and visit any resort.

At the end of the action that lasted about an hour, the resolution was read, which, in particular, demanded to immediately change the socio-economic policies in the country, return people their constitutional rights to a decent life, cancel rules of Housing and Labor Codes, as well as of the government regulation No. 354 with regard to shared utility costs of an apartment building.

In addition, the participants who unanimously adopted the resolution, demanded to limit the cost for housing maintenance and utilities by law. According to them the cost must be no more than 10% of total family income.

Supporters and members of the Communist Party also demanded to stop the rise in prices and utility rates, improve quality of life, return travel privileges for beneficiaries, restore benefits to labor veterans and disabled, and return disabled children and children from large families their right to two free school meals a day.

According to the police, no violations of the rule of law during the rally were recorded.