54_79 interference 79. The Court notes that on all occasions under examination the authorities prohibited the meetings planned by both applicants. That was, indeed, a practice that had been invariably followed ever since 1992 (see paragraphs 17 and 74 above). In July 1994 the chairman of the applicant association and another person were issued police warnings to stay away from the site of their planned commemorative meeting. In one case, on 22 April 1995, despite the ban imposed by the mayor, supporters of the applicant association were allowed to approach the historical site where they wished to hold their meeting and were able to lay a wreath on the grave of Yane Sandanski and light candles. That was only possible, however, on the condition that the participants abandoned their posters and slogans. No speeches were allowed to be made at the site. The participants were permitted to celebrate the event only from a certain distance (see paragraph 22 above). That approach by the authorities, allowing members of the applicant association to attend the official ceremonies held at the same place and time on the occasion of the same historical events, provided that they did not carry their posters and did not hold separate demonstrations, was reiterated in the mayor’s decision of 11 April 1997 and the Government’s submissions to the Court (see paragraphs 24 and 66 above).