Russian cops violently break up Putin protest

Police officers detain opposition activists at Moscow's Pushkin Square March 5, 2012, as they refuse to leave the venue at the end of their larger rally earlier. / AFP/Getty Images

(AP) MOSCOW - Riot police on Monday broke up an opposition protest contesting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's victory in Russia's presidential election, arresting dozens of participants, including prominent opposition leaders.

The police action followed a rally in downtown Moscow that drew about 20,000 protesters angry over a campaign slanted in Putin's favor and reports of widespread violations in Sunday's ballot.

The big rally went on peacefully, but hundreds of police in full riot gear violently dispersed several hundred protesters who had vowed to stay on the iconic Pushkin Square in downtown Moscow until Putin steps down.

Police moved quickly to put out the protests, apparently fearing that it could act as a catalyst for bigger opposition action.

U.S. urges Russia to probe vote-fraud charges
Observers: "Serious problems" in Russia vote
Putin's victory just "honest" enough?

Charismatic protest leader Alexei Navalny, who sought to electrify the crowd with a passionate call of "We are the power!" was among those arrested along with opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov. Scores were put in police vans parked around the square.

Putin won more than 63 percent of the vote according to the nearly complete official returns, but the opposition says the election was marred by massive fraud.

The campaign has been unfair, cowardly and treacherous," said opposition leader Grigory Yavlinsky, who had been denied registration for the race on a technicality.

International election monitors pointed at the lack of real competition and said the vote count "was assessed negatively" in almost a third of polling stations observers visited.

"There was no real competition, and abuse of government resources ensured that the ultimate winner of the election was never in doubt," said Tonino Picula, the head of the short-term Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observer mission. "Broadcast media was clearly biased in favor of one candidate and did not provide fair coverage of the other candidates."

Russian observers pointed at numerous reports of "carousel voting," in which busloads of voters are driven around to cast ballots multiple times and various other violations, saying their number appeared to be as high as in December's disputed parliamentary vote that kicked off the protests.

Monday's rally was been sanctioned by authorities but security was tight, with some 12,000 police deployed to ensure order.

Udaltsov, one of the protest organizers, urged protesters to stay on the square until Putin steps down.

"If it was a free election, why have they flooded the entire city with troops?" Udaltsov shouted to the crowd, which responded with cries: "They fear us!"

A few hundred demonstrators heeded Udaltsov's call to stay the square after the rally was over. Hundreds of riot police surrounded them, but waited for more than an hour before they moved to break up the protest.

Earlier, police also rounded up protesters who tried to walk toward the Kremlin after the big rally was over. They also quickly arrested Eduard Limonov, the leader of the banned National Bolshevik Party and several dozen of his supporters, who attempted to hold a protest on the Lubyanka Square near the headquarters of Russia's election commission. The main KGB successor agency is also located on Lubyanka.

About 100 protesters were also arrested in St. Petersburg, where about 2,000 gathered for an unauthorized rally.

The independent Russian elections watchdog Golos said Monday that incomplete reports from its observers of individual polling station counts contradicted the official vote count, indicating that Putin hovered perilously close to the 50-percent mark needed for a first-round victory.

"It's one pixel away from a second round," said Golos' Roman Udot.

Putin's win was assured as he faced a weak slate of Kremlin-approved candidates and many across the vast country still see him as a guarantor of stability and the defender of a strong Russia against a hostile world, an image he has carefully cultivated during 12 years in power.

He has relied on massive coverage by state television stations, denouncing his foes as Western stooges working to weaken Russia.

Putin claimed victory Sunday night when fewer than a quarter of the votes had been counted, his eyes brimming with tears. He defiantly proclaimed just outside the Kremlin walls before a sea of supporters that they had triumphed over opponents intent on "destroying Russia's statehood and usurping power."

U.S. Sen. John McCain, who had goaded Putin in the past on Twitter, reacted quickly to the images of a tearful Putin with an acerbic Tweet:

Tearful Putin thanks supporters after win

Dear Vlad, Surprise! Surprise! You won. The #Russian people are crying too!

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) March 5, 2012

The protesters on Monday derided Putin's tears as an evidence of his fear of the opposition.

"We have seen a man who wasn't sure of himself," said Ilya Yashin, one of the opposition leaders.

24 Photos

Russian election protests

Mikhail Kasyanov, who served as prime minister during Putin's first term before turning an opposition leader, urged the protesters to focus on demanding a rerun of the fraud-tainted parliamentary election in December, which allowed Putin's party to retain its majority in the lower house.

"Early Duma election is our immediate goal!" he shouted. "Putin is afraid of us!"

• no previous page
• next

1/2

[varigdc10]

I remember 1968 Dem National Convention in Chicago, Grant Park, Michigan Avenue, believe me it was worse there than this little thing in Moscow, cops are the same all over, go to Brazil, in Rio, I've been there, they shoot first and ask later, ala our western days like Jessee James and company, so why is this news ???

[Shawn_Davis]

Wow, it looks like Occupy Wall Street.

[smittyc]

Oh well, give Hilary a rifle and some ammo, gather up the human rights activist, give them a rifle, get Clintons, Obama's and Bush's kids, give them a rifle, the press can take a picture then send them into Russia. There is no doubt in my mind this action on our part will take care of the problem.

[smittyc]

Oh well, give Hilary a rifle and some ammo, gather up the human rights activist, give them a rifle, get Clintons, Obama's and Bush's kids, give them a rifle, the press can take a picture then send them into Russia. There is no doubt in my mind this action on our part will take care of the problem.

[markag55]

I visited Russia a few years ago, taking a river cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow. All the Russians I met were friendly, however, most didn't think that democracy and free speech would last in Russia. The tour guide that we had was very open and friendly, but said on numerous occasions, "If I would have said this during the Soviet period, I'd be in jail now. And...who knows...I might be again in the future!" He was a jewel of a man; a true gentleman and an excellent tour guide. He had a droll sense of humor, finding the funniest explanations for the way the Stalinistic buildings looked to how inept the engineers were during those times (they built one generating plant for 12 ugly apartment buildings...only the first 6 got heat and electricity--the rest got, well, what was left!).

It sickens me to know that many Russians, who have lived under either a Tsar or a dictator, hate that they can't have a democracy where they can say or print what they think and feel.

I also feel sorry for those Russians who rue the days of the Soviet Union because at least they got pensions they could live on and apartments (no matter how run-down and dilapidated) and food was subsidized.

I don't know of an answer for Russia; neither, evidently, do they. Putin is despised by most, at this point, though many are afraid to vote against him. "Big Brother" is watching again in Russia.

I can only speak of my experiences during 10 days in Russia. The vast majority of people were friendly, talkative, and humorous; however, they seemed to know that all that would come to an end in their own lifetime.

[Social_Adjudicator]

Figuring the results by virtue of the number of Protesters who have turned out to demonstate @20,000 in number and then generously multiplying that number by 100 for those who couldn't attend coming up with a number of 2,000,000; then dividing such by 50,000,000 (100,000,000 roughly the number of people of age eligible to vote, generously divided in half): concludes that roughly 4 percent of the population is dissatisfied.
There's more than one way to settle a "Democratic Contest". Get over it and move on or get thrown in jail. I personally would make the decision to move on.

[cheeksforus]

As far as busing people to multi places no different than the last election we had for governor, the liberal press didn't report here, just pushed it under the rug.

[Nikos_Retsos]

The Russian government sees the protesters as provocateurs of the West trying to mar the win of Vladimir Putin. It is "deja vu" of John McCain attacking Obama after he lost the presidential elections. Obama just cut him off (in that meeting) with this response: "The elections are over John!" And McCain just obliged with a wide smirk!

The anti-Putin protesters demonstrate today for the Western media. For the rest of the Russians, the "election is over!" The losers in every election have always a few sour grapes to chew until they fully digest their defeat! Nikos Retsos, retired professor

[lloydbest1]

Not much different than being pepper sprayed (U.C. Davis).

[mrmikemrmike]

Just like Oakland CA.