Posted on 02/10/2015 1:48:09 PM PST by UMCRevMom@aol.com
They are ordinary Russian citizens living in Moscow: an English teacher, an engineer, an economist. For several weeks already they gather on Manezhnaya Ploshchad in Moscow to exchange contacts and to think up a way to change Russia. “We are all citizens of Russia, the country where we were born, and which we love, but which turned into a totalitarian monster,” they say in a video they recorded for their fellow citizens, whom they hope to get involved in changing their country.
“A country that is not free can’t have a good healthcare system, strong education, developed economy. It is a country where people do not work and do not develop. They emigrate.” Why is Russia not free? The arrests of the friends of the group are telling: three years spent in a colony for protesting the construction of a VI{P summer house in a nature reserve, five years for holding a sign at a protest, arrests for posts on social media, dozens of people arrested for supporting Nadiya Savchenko, the Ukrainian pilot illegally kidnapped and jailed in Russia. The most recent case of Russia’s repression of civic liberties is the case of Svetlana Davydova, the mother that is being accused of treason for saying what everybody knew already: Russian troops are in Ukraine.
Their numbers gradually grow, as the video is being avidly shared in social media. The movement’s organizer, Evgeniy Levkovich, in an interview to OpenRussia said that they want to create a mass civic, non-partisan and non-ideological opposition movement because they are tired of waiting. “First we waited for fair elections. Then we waited for mass protests to bring authorities to their senses. Then we waited for Navalny. Then, for the “coordination council of the opposition.” Then we waited for Putin to react to Bolotnaya ploshchad. […] And the results – war with Ukraine, criminal cases against opposition figures participating in single pickets and a de-facto ban on dissent. We have nothing and nobody to wait for, we are almost living in a country that Orwell described in his anti-utopia Nineteen Eighty Four. It seems that we have to take up the responsibility. The end goal, once again, is to create a mass movement, to cancel all the repressive laws adopted by the Duma, and to ensure the compliance with the Constitution.”
It all began on 18 January 2015, when the group’s friend Mark Galperin was arrested for holding a placard “Je Suis Charlie.” In Russia, only solitary pickets with placards are permitted without prior registration. At a certain moment, a provocateur with a sheet of white paper stood next to Mark. His protest ceased to be solitary, he was arrested and is now facing up to five years in prison. This arrest signalled that it’s time to start moving, in order to not betray their friend. And they will continue to gather on the square until their aim is achieved, at the very least – until their friends are released from prison.
Russia needs a good revolution
“EuroMaidanPress is STRAIGHT-UP, Ukrainian Government-approved Propaganda.
REALLY????
How many good revolutions have there ever been in history? America is unique.
We’ll never see a revolution in Russia as long as Putin can keep the vodka and Russian chauvinism flowing. Russia remains psychologically incapable of dissent. It’s best served with a small clique of thugs ruling over a massive nation of benighted drunks. Putinistas rejoice in the charms of that social model and the statist authoritarianism of president for life Putin.
LOL , Russian Bands sound like a Dump Truck dumping a load of scrap iron
I get the impression that the people in Russia who may want more than what Putin’s kleptocracy has to offer left the country long ago. The country had a huge brain drain in the early 90’s when the former USSR collapsed, and a steady flow since then (which has probably accelerated again in recent years). The people leaving Russia are disproportionately the young, dynamic, and educated. The people staying behind are disproportionately the uneducated and ignorant (or people who are too old to go anywhere and start anew). The uneducated, the middle aged, and the elderly aren’t likely to start a major revolt anytime soon.
Do you call that Democracy.
Just like Saddam Hussein always got 99% of the vote in elections.
Yet, once he was down, the people showed what they REALLY thought of him ... probably much the same with Putin.
I mean, Russians really enjoy empty store shelves, no jobs, and +1000% inflation??
Free Republic’s “Russian Apologist Caucus” will be along shortly to tell us all how these ‘hooligans’ in Russia are being instigated by meddlesome Americans and those pesky fascists from Ukraine.
See post #10 - you’re one of the tools I was talking about.
Yes, but if one looks up “Putin” and “Fraud”, you get a lot of hits, there elections have been questioned. All i will say, one can look for themselves.
If there is a revolution in Russia, Russia needs to COMPLETELY de-Sovietify. that means banning current Russian government officials and Former Soviet officials from office permanently.
“Putin has 80+% approval.”
Like Obama’s 5.7% unemployment.
Who asked you, you evil devil? You've been giving us straight out Russian lies from twitter feeds, Russian media, and telling us all why we should hate Ukrainians and bow to Russian aggression against us. You tell lies like you breath; you have no conscience. You are a shameful thing, a vile hypocrite, an out and out propaganda mouthpiece for Putin, even willing to tell lies about posters on this forum who contradict you, just to mislead the reader.
You are evil to the core of your soul. You have nothing to say but more evil.
“You are evil to the core of your soul. You have nothing to say but more evil.”
Lol...
The one that screamed about RT articles being posted is crying because direct UKR Gov-sponsored/Soros Group-funded propaganda is being called out???
That’s frikken hilarious!!!
I know you work for them, but really?
No. Like Obama has ~50%.
Now, did you mean 'tools'.
Now, did you mean 'tools'.
I said we’ll never see a revolution in Russia and you ask me why I’d want one. By the way, Putin’s popularity is built on police state and propaganda tactics honed during the 70 years of communism. He learned the lessons well as a KGB man. There is no alternative now to Putinism. He’s going to run Russia into the ground. He’ll have his fawning fans abroad but at home the only solace will be cheap vodka.
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