Russian Police Prevent Memorial for Michael Jackson

Reports say that police in St. Petersburg, Russia, prevented a memorial service for Michael Jackson from being held on the third anniversary of his death.

On Monday, some fans gathered near the U.S. Embassy building according to an annual tradition to hold a memorial for Michael Jackson, but they were met with opposition from the police. It’s believed that this incident occurred after the approval of a new law aimed at preventing street gatherings.

Over the past two years, fans had been gathering at this location to light candles for Michael and place posters there. They also sang legendary pop songs and danced. Until this year, the ceremony had been held calmly with support from the U.S. Embassy and the St. Petersburg police.

But on Monday, police rushed into the crowd, tore up the fans’ posters, and warned that if they didn’t disperse they would be arrested and face a heavy fine. Using their vehicle, the police directed the fans toward leaving the street, and the organizer of the event was jailed for several hours for holding an illegal gathering.

Since last December, following protest gatherings against the Kremlin’s policies, Russia has seen stricter treatment of gatherings and assemblies. Fines for holding such events have been set from one thousand to three hundred thousand rubles.

Source: eMJey.com / Yahoo News