Similar topics
Search
Latest topics
Russian rallies urge Putin not to run again; dozens arrested
3 posters
Russian rallies urge Putin not to run again; dozens arrested
MOSCOW (AP) — Under the slogan "I'm fed up," demonstrators urging Vladimir Putin not to run for a fourth term rallied in cities across Russia on Saturday. Dozens were arrested in St. Petersburg and elsewhere.
The centerpiece rally in Moscow went peacefully, despite being unsanctioned by authorities. Several hundred people rallied in a park then moved to the nearby presidential administration building to present letters telling Putin to stand down from running in 2018.
But in St. Petersburg, Associated Press journalists saw dozens arrested. The OVD-Info group that monitors political repression relayed reports of more arrests in several cities, including 20 in Tula and 14 in Kemerovo.
Putin has not announced whether he plans to run for president again next year. He has dominated Russian politics since becoming president on New Year's Eve 1999 when Boris Yeltsin resigned. Even when he stepped away from the Kremlin to become prime minister in 2008-2012 because of term limits, he remained effectively Russia's leader.
Nationwide protests on March 26 appeared to rattle the Kremlin because of the demonstrations' unusual size and reach. The predominance of young people in those protests challenges the belief that the generation that grew up under Putin's heavy hand had become apolitical or disheartened.
Saturday's demonstrations were much smaller, but indicated that marginalized opposition forces will continue to push. The demonstrations were called for by Open Russia, an organization started by Kremlin foe Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
As an oil tycoon, Khodorkovsky was once listed as Russia's richest man, but his political ambitions put him at odds with the Kremlin. He was arrested in 2003 and served 10 years in prison on tax-evasion and fraud convictions that supporters say were political persecution. He was pardoned in 2013, left the country and revived Open Russia as a British-based organization.
On Wednesday, Russia's Prosecutor-General banned Open Russia as an undesirable foreign organization. But the group's Moscow branch says it is administratively separate and not subject to the ban.
The centerpiece rally in Moscow went peacefully, despite being unsanctioned by authorities. Several hundred people rallied in a park then moved to the nearby presidential administration building to present letters telling Putin to stand down from running in 2018.
But in St. Petersburg, Associated Press journalists saw dozens arrested. The OVD-Info group that monitors political repression relayed reports of more arrests in several cities, including 20 in Tula and 14 in Kemerovo.
Putin has not announced whether he plans to run for president again next year. He has dominated Russian politics since becoming president on New Year's Eve 1999 when Boris Yeltsin resigned. Even when he stepped away from the Kremlin to become prime minister in 2008-2012 because of term limits, he remained effectively Russia's leader.
Nationwide protests on March 26 appeared to rattle the Kremlin because of the demonstrations' unusual size and reach. The predominance of young people in those protests challenges the belief that the generation that grew up under Putin's heavy hand had become apolitical or disheartened.
Saturday's demonstrations were much smaller, but indicated that marginalized opposition forces will continue to push. The demonstrations were called for by Open Russia, an organization started by Kremlin foe Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
As an oil tycoon, Khodorkovsky was once listed as Russia's richest man, but his political ambitions put him at odds with the Kremlin. He was arrested in 2003 and served 10 years in prison on tax-evasion and fraud convictions that supporters say were political persecution. He was pardoned in 2013, left the country and revived Open Russia as a British-based organization.
On Wednesday, Russia's Prosecutor-General banned Open Russia as an undesirable foreign organization. But the group's Moscow branch says it is administratively separate and not subject to the ban.
Lamplighter- Slayer of scums
- Location : I am the Judge, Jury and Executioner
Join date : 2011-06-24
Age : 84
Re: Russian rallies urge Putin not to run again; dozens arrested
revived Open Russia as a British-based organization
Usual destablization tricks, then. If you're going to have an oligarch in charge, better to have one that is loyal to Russia, and not his Western paymasters.
Usual destablization tricks, then. If you're going to have an oligarch in charge, better to have one that is loyal to Russia, and not his Western paymasters.
bb1- Slayer of scums
- Location : watcher on the wall
Join date : 2011-06-24
lily- Slayer of scums
- Join date : 2011-06-24
Similar topics
» Ukraine PM: Putin Wants All Of Our Country
» Putin officially divorces his wife Lyudmila
» Dozens Die As Tornado Swarms Hit The US
» Putin officially divorces his wife Lyudmila
» Dozens Die As Tornado Swarms Hit The US
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|
Sun Dec 06, 2020 6:43 pm by Pedro Silva
» help Liam Scott
Sat May 02, 2020 1:05 pm by Pedro Silva
» WE STILL HOPE' Madeleine McCann parents vow to keep searching for their daughter in emotional Christmas message
Thu Dec 26, 2019 9:37 am by Pedro Silva
» Candles site
Fri Sep 20, 2019 6:40 pm by Pedro Silva
» Madeleine McCann's parents urge holidaymakers to take posters abroad with them this summer in bid to find their daughter
Sat Aug 03, 2019 7:33 pm by Pedro Silva
» Madeleine McCann investigation gets more funding
Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:44 pm by Pedro Silva
» new suspect in Madeleine McCann
Sun May 05, 2019 3:18 pm by Sabot
» NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Sat Apr 20, 2019 8:02 pm by Pedro Silva
» SUN, STAR: 'Cristovao goes on trial' - organised home invasions, etc
Sat Apr 20, 2019 7:54 am by Sabot