The coalition brought together representatives from a wide variety of political and human rights movements, liberals, nationalists, socialists and communists (though the CPRF was absent), as well as individual citizens.

Western diplomats, including British Ambassador to Russia Anthony Brenton, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Barry Lowenkron, and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried, were attending the conference.

[citation needed] The two main liberal parties, Yabloko and the Union of Rightist Forces, were boycotting the event over the participation of what they consider to be nationalist and extremist groups.

[3] During the summer of 2006, the society prepared a "coalition of national harmony", designed to accumulate common positions among its members.

Several people, including Garry Kasparov and former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov, were arrested, but released some hours later.