2,000 people took part in an anti-Putin protest in St Petersburg on Saturday. After a confrontation in which protestors broke through lines of riot police, 100 were arrested.
What caught my eye was what seems to be a new feeling of confidence among protestors:
No, really, nothing like this had ever happened before – people marching on the riot police. Even in August 1991, when the police appeared, people at first began to run away, but they were stopped by the announcement that the police were on our side. Here everyone knew for sure that the police were being led against us – but it didn’t scare them.
(Translated by: Global Voices Online).
The balance of power between police and protestors is always a very fine one – I wonder what will happen if it tilts during the run up to the 2008 Presidential election, or its immediate aftermath.
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Another eye-catching element of this whole thing is that Kasparov and Yavlinskii would be willing to associate themselves with racists like the NBP.
Protesters? How do you “wing nuts” in Russian?
The most eye-catching element is that wing nut Russophiles would attempt to disparage the protesters and thereby undermine the protest, dooming Russia to decades more neo-Soviet oppression. When the Russian people generally show such craven cowardice, such utterly irresponsible failure to exercise even moderate control over their government’s outrageous conduct, then any port in a storm. Beggers can’t be choosers.
I don’t see either of YOU two guys doing anything constructive to protest against the Kremlin, much less something more effective and public than what Kasparov is doing. You don’t even SUGGEST something better.
In other words, I see you as being far more dangerous to Russia than the racists. At best you’re a pair of “white moderates.” At worst, you’re collaborators.
@LaR
Actually, I support Putin wholeheartedly. I wish that Putin could stay for another 4 years.
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