Despite pouring rain, those remembering Anna Politkovskaya were present at Novopushkinsky square. “We expected no more than 20 people to come with such weather, and it’s 300 hundred to have come” expressed their surprise the OMON officers who provided correctly for security at that meeting, jointly with interior department units. The meeting was organized by Novaya Gazeta with the purpose of demanding the open trial on the culprits.     

The poet Evgeny Evtushenko had sent a video where he recited his poem “The lead-bullet emoluments” dedicated to the killed journalists. The composer Alexander Bakshi said that he has got an offer from New York to write a requiem in commemoration of Anna. The premiere took place in Broadway, in a big church near the Columbian University. No one ever called from Russia on that occasion.    

“The Anya’s case is not finished, and we shall not allow cheating us” said Dmitry Muratov.

Mikhail Kasyanov said he looks on Anna as on a fighter for the right to know what corruption is and to influence the authorities. Lyudmila Alekseeva said she sees Anna as an embodiment of our common conscience, and this is why on her murder day it was raining; that was “tears by Russia for Anya”. Sergei MItrokhin sees Anna Politkovskaya as an example to follow, and her murder as a challenge to the society.  

Ruslan Kutaev, who owes his life to Anna Politkovskaya, Lyudmila Alekseeva, Alexander Petrov and Oleg Orlov, said that he had wanted to invite many other people who were also saved by Anna, but unfortunately many of them have to live in abroad, as even being saved they still were in danger in Russia.   

Marietta Chudakova says she cannot overcome her pain. Although everyone around says all is lost, she does not think so. “We shall be asked, asked dead or alive, why we did not do anything when the Constitution existed, and why we didn’t protect the right to life and human dignity”. She appealed 20 million of liberally disposed people to make their opinions proportionate with actions, like it was done by Anna.    

Sergei Buntman expressed his surprise that the murder of the journalist Grant Dink, the Armenian descendant, in Turkey was not hushed up. The Turkish leaders did not keep anyone waiting and begging, and they did not utter odd things to indirect questions. Thy just said this had been a shot in the heart of Turkey. And tens thousands of people wore the badges “I am Grant Dink”. Boris Nemtsov drew attention to “ominous, though not accidental coincidence” – the murder of Anna Politkovskaya was done on the birthday of Putin. “All the world today recalls Anya, and in our country the avenues in Grozny get named after those people who annihilate the freedom of speech and shoot at innocent cities, and who have tens thousands of slain people on their conscience.” Garry Kasparov called to taking note of tens police cars and buses, saying “They are afraid of her even when she is dead; they are afraid of freedom and truth”. The anchorperson of the meeting, Alexey Simonov, said right at those minutes a demonstration commemorating Anna Politkovskaya was going along the Avenue named after her in Paris.       

Also speaking at the meeting were Viktor Shenderovich, Yulia Kalinina, Leonid Gozman, and Vsevolod Bogdanov. The words of sympathy and demands that the authority opens its eyes to the fact the journalists have no protection were sent from the International Federation of Journalists, Unions of Journalists from Great Britain, Denmark, India (also from all-Indian Federation of the hired press workers), Italy, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, France, Sweden, from Byelorussian Association and from journalist organizations from Gambia, Cyprus, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Somali and from Japanese Union of electronic media workers.      

And Anna’s mother, Raisa Maximovna Mazepa, had recorded an audio address, appealing that people not shoot at one another.