Dozens Held in Russia Opposition Rally (to protest Russia's roll back from democracy)

[Omaha Steve]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070303/D8NKPNH00.html

Dozens Held in Russia Opposition Rally
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Mar 3, 11:00 AM (ET)

By DMITRY LOVETSKY

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) - Police violently broke up an unauthorized opposition rally in Russia's second-largest city Saturday, clubbing dozens of activists before dragging them into waiting buses.

Several thousand members of liberal and leftist groups chanted "Shame!" as they marched down St. Petersburg's main avenue to protest what they said was Russia's roll back from democracy. The demonstration, called the March of Those Who Disagree, was a rare gathering of the country's beleaguered and often fractious opposition.

City authorities had banned the march, only granting permission for a rally far from the city center, but the activists defied the ban and marched down Nevsky Prospekt, the city's main street, blocking traffic.


Demonstrators shout during an opposition protest in St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, March 3, 2007. Police on Saturday violently broke up an unauthorized opposition rally in Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg, detaining and beating dozens of activists, witnesses and organizers said. Several thousand members of liberal and leftist groups marched down the city's main avenue to protest what they said was Russia's rolling back from democracy. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)


Riot police beat dozens of protesters with truncheons, but thousands broke through police cordons. They marched toward the city center and rallied for about 40 minutes until police moved in again, detaining people and dragging them into buses.

FULL story at link.

[John Q. Citizen]

1. Wow, that's quite a story.

[OKthatsIT]

2. This is happening all over the world. Mafias have taken over Govts

Where did they take all those people they put on the buses?

[PittPoliSci]

4. just curious...

who would you rather have controlling your country, putin or the IMF?

[nodehopper]

5. what does that have to do with anything in the story?

[PittPoliSci]

12. what difference does that make?

[nodehopper]

13. well, it seemed like a total non sequitir

and I don't understand how it relates to anything in the article. If this was a private inside comment to the poster, then maybe a PM would have been better.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. Why are those the only choices?

Seems a bit of a false dichotomy to me.

[PittPoliSci]

11. because that was the question i posed.

i know other choices exist, i'm just curious when faced with these choices.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

3. Kudos to the people there.

Accolades for not protesting in the boondocks, and for getting the attention of the press.

[dkofos]

10. At least the foreign press.

[ohio2007]

6. The should have a "Red Revolution"

as long as Western MSM has a front row birds eye view,it will be hard for Putin to put it down.

[BayCityProgressive]

7. hm wonder how this will play out

in the 90's the parliament refused to pass Yeltsin's privatizations and locked themselves in the parliament so he had it bombed. If Russia treats elected officials who disagree like that..how will it treat these people?

[ohio2007]

8. Guess we can tune in but in the meantime, a little "twist"

Who Wants To Be An Amerikan - Vancouver Film School (VFS)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__qWoUeU6tI&NR

And from Canada no less, go figger

[otherlander]

14. K&R

People united :toast:

[Heidi]

15. Kick.

:kick:

[Forkboy]

16. Russian anti-Putin demo broken up

Russian anti-Putin demo broken up

Russian riot police have broken up a rare opposition march in St Petersburg.

Several thousand opposition supporters gathered to protest against what they see as attempts by President Vladimir Putin to stifle democracy.

They broke through a police cordon and marched down Nevsky Prospekt, the city's main street, shouting "freedom!" and slogans hostile to Mr Putin.

The organisers say police beat demonstrators with batons and made a number of arrests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6415699.stm

[BayCityProgressive]

17. I have read that

the COmmunist Party is poised to win the 08 elections...people believe they were better off under the Soviet system. Things could get real interesting in Russia..

[Ignacio Upton]

18. Between Putin and the old Commies

I would flee Russia right now if I lived there. What about a sensible center-left pro-democracy and pro-mixed economy party? Oh wait...those have been crushed by the authoritarian douche still in office.

[ohio2007]

19. US expert on Russian intelligence shot in Washington

Where can you hide if you run ?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/usrussiacrimespy

[Amused Musings]

20. Being an enemy of the Tsar

is a hazardous occupation. We live in dark times. Or has it always been a dark time for the opponents of the Kremlin? Whatever they dress themselves up as, king, comrade, or democrat, the overlords of Russia have always found little value in human life.

[happyslug]

23. That is the MODERN Communist party in Russia

That is why the Communist are about to win in 2008, the modern Communist party in Russia look back at Gorbachev at a failed opportunity to slowly switch to non-centralized economy while preserving the old Soviet Safety net. No one, not even the modern Communist Party in Russia wants to return to Stalinist Russian. A mixed economy is want the Communist are willing to accept, control of big industry to protect workers is one of their doctrines, but they have no plans to return to the central planning of the Soviet Union.

Today's Russian communist party is NOT the the Communist party of Stalin, Khrushchev or even of Gorbachev. It is a left of center popular movement that wants more spent on social program, a strong Russia, a crackdown on the wealthy oligarchs and an aggressive foreign policy extending Russian's influence to the now Independent States of the Foreign Soviet Union.

[manic expression]

22. The CP of Russia isn't without faults

they're very homophobic. However, rule by the CP would be a SIGHT better than anything that Putin could do. Russia was FAR better off during the USSR than after its fall.

[Amused Musings]

24. Is it possible for you to find that story?

All I could find were distressing stories about who might be Putin's designated successor, as if Medvedev or Ivanov were the only choices (or Putin, not by the Russian people). It would be great if someone, anyone could challenge the Kremlin, but it seems to be a vain hope.

[eagler]

21. they really are trying to be like Americans