Deutsche Welle, 15 december 2012
Russian
police have detained four opposition leaders ahead of a banned protest against
President Vladamir Putin. The rally was to celebrate the one year anniversary
of the biggest ever demonstrations against the regime.
The leftist
Sergei Udaltsov and the anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny (pictured above)
were detained Saturday at the central Lubyanka Square in Moscow.
The protest
leaders Ilya Yashin and Ksenia Sobchak were detained on the way to the square,
which is in front of the former KGB security police's headquarters. Estimates
ranged from several hundred to several thousands protesters attending the
rally.
"I
don't know how many people are here but I am proud of each and every one of
those who came here," Navalny said before being detained. "The main
thing is that people are here, that they are expressing their view and showing
that they exist."
The
protest, called the "March for Freedom," was not authorized by city
authorities, but demonstrators braved the risk of arrest and the cold.
Protesters chanted "Down with the police state," and "Free
political prisoners."
Demonstrators
in the square laid flowers before the Solovetsky Stone, a memorial
commemorating victims of Soviet-era political oppression.
Police were
out in force, wearing flak jackets and helmets, and telling people to leave in
an attempt to keep order.
One year
later
The rally
comes a year after the largest protests in Putin's 13 years in office, stemming
from perceived unfair parliamentary elections.
Putin's
opponents say his United Russia party benefited from vote-rigging.
The
protests reached their peak around the end of last year, but waned after Putin
won nearly two-thirds of votes in the March election. The victory allowed him
to return to the presidency after serving four years as prime minister.
Leading
opposition figures have accused Putin of cracking down on dissent and limiting
freedom of expression since he took office in May. The president denies
these allegations.
dr/mkg (Reuters, dpa, AFP)
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