Russia Accuses US of Meddling Over Publication of Protest Map

Russia on Friday accused the U.S. Embassy of having meddled in Russia’s internal affairs when it published a map online showing the route of an unauthorized anti-government protest earlier this month.Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had summoned a senior U.S. diplomat over what it said was a post on Twitter and the embassy’s website containing a map drawn up by Russia’s opposition ahead of the Aug. 3 rally in Moscow.  #Moscow#Russia: March planned for August 3 beginning at 1400. Gathering points along Moscow’s Boulevard Ring include Pokrovskiye Vorota, Nikitskiye Vorota, Trubnaya Square, Turgenevskaya Square, and Novopushinsky Park. Heavy police presence expected. Avoid the protest route. pic.twitter.com/5BMArRwLtr— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) August 2, 2019Russian police detained over 1,000 people at the protest, the latest in a series of opposition rallies ahead of a Moscow city election next month that have led to the biggest standoff between the authorities and the opposition in years.The U.S. Embassy warned U.S. nationals in an English-language statement on its website on Aug. 2 to avoid the protest route, noting that the rally had not been sanctioned by Moscow authorities.The statement contained a map of the planned route as well as details and information about it in Russian. “We underlined that we consider the publication of the route … as promoting participation in (the protest) and calling for action, which constitutes interference in the internal affairs of our country,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.The U.S. Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The complaint came a day after Russia accused German media outlet Deutsche Welle of having also called on Russians to take part in recent anti-government protests.
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