Hundreds of Muscovites marched through the Russian capital over the weekend to protest against a proposal to privatize government healthcare and education, a move that threatens to close a number of hospitals and schools.

According to a leaked memo, the state will allocate sums of money for the establishment of private insurance companies, which will then take over all payments for health care.  Lower income Russians are rightfully worried that they will be left out in the cold.  With medics losing their jobs and schools being combined some marchers say they were better off with the Soviet healthcare system, which guaranteed healthcare for all.

The protests began in October, when a document attributed to the Moscow city government detailed plans to close 28 medical institutions including 15 hospitals.  Moscow 2014-2016 investment program spends just four percent of planned investments to healthcare.