At least 17 local residents gathered outside an ambulance station in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk on Saturday to show their support for local paramedics whose salaries were recently decreased, local outlet SibReal reported.
The rally was organised by communist movement Red Turn. The protestors took to the square outside the ambulance station with signs, calling upon the regional governor Andrey Travnikov to try living on a paramedic’s salary. According to one participant, the protest organisers wanted to raise awareness of the situation faced by local paramedics, many of whom have resigned en masse.
SibReal reported that paramedics’ salaries had decreased twofold following the cancellation of a Covid bonus and now stand at an average of 30,000 rubles (€290).
One of the paramedics said that around 60-70 paramedic teams were currently operating in Novosibirsk, which is the third largest city in Russia, however, “to actually help people” at least 160 teams would be needed.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, any form of demonstration has become extremely rare in Russia, despite the right to public gathering and peaceful protest being enshrined in the country’s constitution.