On May 1 in St. Petersburg Oborona activists, along with other opponents of the status quo in Russia, held a "march for freedom and justice." The participants paraded along Nevsky Prospect and other principal streets of the "Northern Capital" and held a rally at Pioneer Square. The dissenters chanted slogans such as: "We need another Russia!" and "Putin, go skiing in Magadan!"and "The Plan of Putin is Russia poverty!"and "This is our city!"

The event ended with a concert hosted by actor Alexei Devotchenko, a member of the United Civil Front (FSI). He invited opposition leaders express themselves in the language of music, calling Putin's regime "illegitimate" and condemning the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the activities of state. He followed Garry Kasparov, who said that United Russia was "looting" the country. Andrei Illarionov also spoke, asking those assembled to remember those who could not be present because they had been incarcerated, and calling for freedom for all political prisoners of the Putin regime.