Posted on 12/06/2007 9:57:13 AM PST by propertius
Anti-western sentiment in Moscow reached fever pitch today after protestors demanded the British ambassador’s dismissal and tens of thousands of youths gathered near Red Square vowing to defend President Vladimir Putin’s parliamentary election victory against foreign-backed provocateurs.
With government officials savouring Sunday’s landslide triumph by the president’s ruling United Russia party, the Kremlin signalled its intention to resume its campaign against Sir Anthony Brenton, Britain’s ambassador to Moscow.
About 50 youngsters from the Kremlin-created Nashi youth movement picketed the British embassy and waved placards that had the word “loser” emblazoned in English across photographs of Sir Anthony’s face.
The movement said it had also written an open letter to the Queen to protest what it called Sir Anthony’s unprofessional support for opponents of Mr Putin.
"The ambassador is accused of non-professionalism and inappropriate use of British funds," Nashi said in a statement that accused the ambassador of donating £1 million of British government money to Russian civil society.
Nashi activists conducted a campaign of intimidation against Sir Anthony, hounding him wherever he went, for six months last year after the ambassador attended a conference convened by ex-chess champion Garry Kasparov and other opponents of Mr Putin.
Nashi has accused Mr Kasparov of being a fascist and a traitor financed by the West.
The apparent resumption of Nashi’s campaign comes at one of the most trying periods in Anglo-Russian relations since the Cold War.
Britain and Russia expelled four diplomats each in the Summer in a row over the murder of the ex-KGB defector Alexander Litvinenko.
Mr Putin has also likened Britain to a terrorist state after British courts gave asylum to two of his fiercest opponents, the oligarch Boris Berezovsky and the Chechen rebel envoy Akhmed Zakayev.
Whether by coincidence or design, British energy companies, the British Council and the BBC Russia service have also come under attack or pressure.
The BBC yesterday called on the Russian foreign ministry for protection after three of its employees were assaulted in the past fortnight.
"Although we have no evidence to suggest that the attacks were motivated by the BBC connection, we are exploring that possibility," BBC World Service spokesman Peter Connors said. "We have asked the Russian Foreign Ministry for assistance in ensuring staff safety."
Some analysts have suggested that the Kremlin could stoke anti-Western feelings over the next few weeks to provide impetus to possible plans for a constitutional amendment that would allow Mr Putin to remain in office after his final presidential term expires next Spring.
Mr Putin has already argued that Sunday’s parliamentary election triumph, which saw United Russia win over 70 percent of the seats in the Duma, gives him a mandate to influence the next government.
Over 30,000 Nashi members rallied near Red Square to support the president this morning and to defend the city against an alleged Western-backed uprising.
Nashi leaders said that "criminals and traitors" financed by the United States were planning to use force to take control of key buildings in the capital city. "We are here to support our country and to prevent provocations organised by people who want to weaken our country," a Nashi spokesman said.
Later this afternoon over 1,000 activists from Nashi’s children’s brigade, Little Teddy Bears, will muster across the river from the Kremlin calling on Mr Putin to stay in office for the sake of "the little ones of Russia."
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Here’s the most interesting bit:
Over 30,000 Nashi members rallied near Red Square to support the president this morning and to defend the city against an alleged Western-backed uprising.
Nashi leaders said that “criminals and traitors” financed by the United States were planning to use force to take control of key buildings in the capital city. “We are here to support our country and to prevent provocations organised by people who want to weaken our country,” a Nashi spokesman said.
Later this afternoon over 1,000 activists from Nashi’s children’s brigade, Little Teddy Bears, will muster across the river from the Kremlin calling on Mr Putin to stay in office for the sake of “the little ones of Russia.”
Just wait, Putin will bring back the “Internationale” for these protests.
Also, Putin will grow a bushy moustache and wear funny looking uniforms
30,000 people with professionally-made posters of someone who is as about as internationally famous as Britain’s curling team? That seems odd somehow, but I can’t put my finger on just why.
30,000 youths who do not remember the horror that was living in the old Soviet Union. Standing in line for hours to get stale milk and rotten food. Course I could be exagerating if I did not know someone from the Soviet Union who, when getting to this country, took pictures of themselves in the supermarket in front of the banana stand as they never saw so much fresh fruit and vegetables in one place in their lives.
These kids better be careful for what they wish for. A resurgance of Soviet model will crush them so fast they will never get the opportunity to understand what it is they did wrong.
As for the US planning some sort of coup, maybe, maybe not. If all of Russia loves their leader, then no amount of “outside” intervention will break that.
Looks like the Russian Bear is coming out of hibernation.
Sounds like a bunch of thuggish fascist brownshirts.
Nashi youth movement. What an unfortunate name.
I witnessed a similar experience with a chemist visiting from the former Soviet Union in the early 19990’s. We took him to Kroger, and he stood in an aisle in the vegetable section in utter disbelief. He asked if everyone could shop there or did you have to have special access. He also thought that a co-worker (with whom he stayed during his visit) and I must be multi-millionaires because we lived in detached houses with 3-4 bedrooms and 2-3 bathrooms.
Nice touch there Mr. Putin with the Hitler youth. I am impressed you have learned from history at how to create and mobilize a Fascist regime. But consider that Hitler blew his brains out after wrecking all of Europe and annihalating the citizens of the Motherland. I guess you have selective learning when it comes to history. History will repeat itself and your kingdom will also be short-lived and have a fiery end with US occupation, such as we did in Germany the last fifty years or so odd years. You are too prideful in your brilliant intellect, another characteristic of Hitler. Perhaps you will change course and partner with us to insure peace on this globe but somehow I very much doubt it.
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