pеволюция: is the next revolution building across Russia?

     

December 10, 2011 – MOSCOW— Tens of thousands took to the streets in cities across Russia on Saturday to protest alleged vote-rigging in what observers said were the largest anti-government demonstrations in at least a decade. The huge display of popular anger raised the pressure on the Kremlin, which has so far dismissed the post-election discontent as instigated by the U.S. to undermine the Kremlin. But there was no sign that the authorities were willing to even consider opponents’ demands for new elections or a full recount of the disputed Dec. 4 parliamentary vote. Opposition leaders vowed to keep up the pressure with more demonstrations in a bid to disrupt Mr. Putin’s chances in March presidential elections, when he was planning to secure a six-year term in office. One opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov wrote in Twitter late Saturday that “We will gather millions” at demonstrations planned for Dec. 17, 18 and 24. “Putin has no choice—in March everyone will see that the king has no clothes.” The authorities did soften their approach to the protesters somewhat Saturday by giving permits for many of the demonstrations. In Moscow, tens of thousands gathered on Bolotnaya Square across the river from the Kremlin. With 17,000 police standing guard, the three-hour event went off peacefully, in contrast to protests earlier in the week that had ended in hundreds of detentions by police. “We are here today because we are sick of lies,” said Konstantin Pekhotin, a 20-year-old student. “Yes, consider us gathering here a signal to the authorities,” his friend Andrei Ryabtsev, studying to be a customs officer, chimed in. In the Dec. 4 vote, the ruling United Russia party of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin saw its support drop sharply, but still retained a majority in parliament. But local and foreign observers reported widespread stuffing of ballot boxes and other abuses, many of which have been spread by reports and recordings on the Internet. U.S. and other Western governments have raised questions about what they say are suspicions of widespread fraud. “I haven’t walked in a demonstration like this in a long time,” said Gennady Gudkov, a member of parliament from the Just Russia party, as he walked with thousands of others to the main rally. “The people have really awoken. The authorities can’t ignore this many people.” In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the country’s largest cities, protests built over the days since the vote, drawing many demonstrators who hadn’t. –WSJ  excerpt

Al Jazeera – News Hour: Evolution not Revolution