Number of the week: How far from an exhibition can you protest against it?

First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Culture Vladimir Bortko proposed on Nov. 17 to allow citizens to participate in protests against art exhibitions at a distance of no less than 25 meters (82 feet) from the exhibition. "What we need is to fix the law: the opportunity to, at a distance of, for example, I don't know, 25-30 meters, to freely express one’s opinion, without bothering others, to peacefully express one’s opinion on events taking place, whether it is an exhibition, a performance, a film, on the side without disturbing anyone,” said Bortko during a meeting of the committee.In his opinion, police should not prevent citizens from holding protests.Several art exhibitions in Russia have been controversially forced to close in the last two years following protests by conservative and religious activists, including an attack by Orthodox activists on an exhibition by Soviet sculptor Vadim Sidur at Moscow’s Manege exhibition hall in 2015 in which a number of exhibits were damaged.Read more: Cultural figures stand up for artistic freedom in Russia>>>