Opposition activists have been allowed to hold a 30,000-strong rally in downtown Moscow on Saturday to protest the results of the December 4 parliamentary elections, a deputy mayor of the Russian capital said. “The rally organizers agreed to hold the rally on Bolotnaya Square offered to them by Moscow authorities in order to ensure that [...]
Tag: boris nemtsov
December 9, 2011
December 8, 2011
Sociologists: Opposition more popular in cyberspace
Most Russians do not trust the non-parliamentary opposition which is now leading an active campaign against alleged falsifications of the State Duma elections, a sociological study has revealed. The survey was conducted by the independent analytical Levada Center a week before the parliamentary election. It showed that 58% of respondents have no trust in the [...]
December 8, 2011
Russia’s leading opposition figures
Alexey Navalny Photograph: Max Avdeev/Guardian The charismatic 35-year-old lawyer is seen as the de facto leader of Russia‘s disparate opposition, the first one able to unite liberals, nationalists, young and old. He coined the term “party of crooks and thieves” to describe Vladimir Putin‘s United Russia party. His blog, launched as a vehicle to expose [...]
December 8, 2011
Russian Journalist Calls On Colleagues ‘To Be Professionals’
MOSCOW — A prominent Russian journalist has called on journalists working for the state-run media to be “professionals” after they failed to cover recent demonstrations against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reports. In a statement, Stanislav Kucher of Kommersant FM radio slammed those journalists for their “keeping mum” about the events on Moscow’s [...]
December 7, 2011
Moscow Beefs Up Police Presence Amid Opposition, Pro-Kremlin Rallies
MOSCOW — Police and antigovernment protesters have clashed in downtown Moscow as demonstrators defied a government ban and came out for a second straight day of rallies against alleged vote fraud in parliamentary elections on December 4. An estimated 500 people calling for an end to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s rule chanted “Russia without Putin” [...]
December 7, 2011
Hundreds Arrested On Second Night Of Opposition Protests In Russia
MOSCOW — Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was among hundreds of people arrested at a protest in central Moscow on the second consecutive night of public anger over parliamentary elections marred by widespread accusations of fraud. News agencies quoting police sources said more than 400 people were arrested in the capital. Around 200 people who [...]
December 7, 2011
Russian police and troops clash with protesters in Moscow
Police clash with protesters in Moscow. Link to this video Police and interior ministry troops have clashed with protesters in Moscow during a second day of protests against the rule of Vladimir Putin. Around 600 protesters were reported to have gathered near Triumphal Square in central Moscow, but they included many pro-Kremlin youths in blue [...]
December 7, 2011
Russia election aftermath is no Tahrir Square moment | David Hearst
On Monday thousands of people vented their anger on a Moscow boulevard, chanting “Russia without Putin!” “Revolution!” and “Shame!” after an election that, even though it was rigged in favour of the Kremlin-backed party, United Russia, delivered an electoral slap in the face for Vladimir Putin. It was the biggest liberal opposition rally in years, [...]
December 7, 2011
Russian election: police, troops and youth groups stifle anti-Putin protests
Russia sees anti and pro-Kremlin rallies in Moscow Link to this video The Kremlin mobilised thousands of police, interior troops and pro-government youth groups on Tuesday night to crack down on protests against the rule of Vladimir Putin after elections that saw his party returned to power with a greatly reduced majority. Riot police, clad [...]
December 6, 2011
Moscow sees second night of poll protests
Some 300 people were detained on Tuesday in Moscow, police said, during a second evening of protests over alleged mass electoral fraud in favor of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party at this weekend’s parliamentary polls. “We are going to keep coming out to demonstrate until they annul the results of the polls,” one [...]
December 5, 2011
Vladimir Putin set to lose majority amid complaints of electoral violations
After more than a decade of unwavering popularity, Vladimir Putin‘s United Russia party was on Sunday night predicted to lose its majority in parliament, as voters used a national election to register concern at authoritarianism and corruption. Early exit polls showed United Russia would lose its majority in the Duma, or lower house, and fail [...]
October 20, 2011
Nemtsov okays vote for any party but United Russia
Outspoken Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov now says voting in parliamentary elections for any party other than the ruling United Russia party is an acceptable form of protest. The Party of People’s Freedom (PARNAS), which Nemtsov chairs, had previously called on its backers to spoil their ballots. PARNAS has been refused registration and will not appear [...]
October 16, 2011
Pro-Kremlin activists ‘cut power’ to opposition meeting
Activists from a pro-Kremlin youth group have cut off power to a building in south Russia where some of country’s most prominent opposition leaders were to hold a conference, the independent website grani.ru reported. Boris Nemtsov, Ilya Yashin and Lev Ponomaryov were forced to hold a meeting with supporters in the pitch darkness after members [...]
October 12, 2011
Grigory Yavlinsky: ‘Change Is Only Possible If There Is An Alternative’
The Power Vertical Grigory Yavlinsky gestures as he delivers a speech during the 15th Forum 2000 Conference in Prague on October 10. I caught up with Yabloko founder Grigory Yavlinsky, who was in Prague this week to participate in the Forum 2000 conference. In a brief on-the-record chat, we discussed Vladimir Putin’s decision to return [...]