Internet people take to the streets: "Russia against Putin"
by Nina Achmatova
More than 5 thousand people in Moscow against "sham election" which crowned United Russia the new ruling party. Hundreds of people detained in what was the largest anti-government demonstration in recent years.
Moscow (AsiaNews) - It was the biggest demonstration against power in recent years. As soon as the authorities noticed, the arrests started. The event held yesterday in Chisty Prudy, Moscow, by the Solidarnost movement saw at least 5 thousand people take to the streets, according to some media 8 thousand, shouting "Russia without Putin". Many of them young people and intellectuals protesting against the elections on Sunday, deemed a "farce" because of widespread fraud and manipulation also reported by international observers.
Some of the greatest exponents of what is now called the "party of the internet" took to the stage set up under the monument to the writer Griboyedov, along with civil society movements that use the Internet to disseminate alternative information to the mainstream media and expose injustice and corruption . Among others: the blogger Alexei Navalny, writer and journalist Dmitri Bykov, author of a successful political satyr program; Evghenja Chirikov, leading environmentalists and Victor Shenderovich, creator of the cult satirical show "Kukla" (puppets), shut down shortly after the arrival of Putin to the Kremlin in 2000. The protesters then attempted to move from Chisty Prudy to the Central Election Commission headquarters in Lunyanka, but at that point police in riot gear intervened detaining around 300 people, including Navalny, of whom there is still no news, reports Echo of Moscow radio.
Amnesty International has condemned the police operation, asking Russia to release the protesters. Election result saw a dramatic drop in approval ratings for United Russia reaching a low of 50% versus 64% in the last elections in 2007. The economic crisis and the growth of problems never really fought by the state, such as corruption and inefficiency of public administration, have spread a sense of dissatisfaction among the electorate that finds its outlet on the internet, the only real free public square in the country. The authorities are aware of the discontent and react nervously between arrests and attacks on critical websites.
According to Denis Bilunov, a member of Solidarnost ', "now that the authorities are weaker is the time to increase pressure."
And from the United States, meanwhile, comes the admonition of Senator John McCain who has always been critical of the Kremlin: "Dear Vlad, the Arab Spring is coming to you."
Some of the greatest exponents of what is now called the "party of the internet" took to the stage set up under the monument to the writer Griboyedov, along with civil society movements that use the Internet to disseminate alternative information to the mainstream media and expose injustice and corruption . Among others: the blogger Alexei Navalny, writer and journalist Dmitri Bykov, author of a successful political satyr program; Evghenja Chirikov, leading environmentalists and Victor Shenderovich, creator of the cult satirical show "Kukla" (puppets), shut down shortly after the arrival of Putin to the Kremlin in 2000. The protesters then attempted to move from Chisty Prudy to the Central Election Commission headquarters in Lunyanka, but at that point police in riot gear intervened detaining around 300 people, including Navalny, of whom there is still no news, reports Echo of Moscow radio.
Amnesty International has condemned the police operation, asking Russia to release the protesters. Election result saw a dramatic drop in approval ratings for United Russia reaching a low of 50% versus 64% in the last elections in 2007. The economic crisis and the growth of problems never really fought by the state, such as corruption and inefficiency of public administration, have spread a sense of dissatisfaction among the electorate that finds its outlet on the internet, the only real free public square in the country. The authorities are aware of the discontent and react nervously between arrests and attacks on critical websites.
According to Denis Bilunov, a member of Solidarnost ', "now that the authorities are weaker is the time to increase pressure."
And from the United States, meanwhile, comes the admonition of Senator John McCain who has always been critical of the Kremlin: "Dear Vlad, the Arab Spring is coming to you."
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