Russian anti-Putin demo broken up

BBC ^

[asd145]

Russian riot police have broken up a rare opposition march in St Petersburg. Several thousand opposition supporters gathered to protest against what they see as attempts by President Vladimir Putin to stifle democracy.

They broke through a police cordon and marched down Nevsky Prospekt, the city's main street, shouting "freedom!" and slogans hostile to Mr Putin.

The organisers say police beat demonstrators with batons and made a number of arrests.

The event - entitled "the march of the dissenters" - was organised by opposition leaders, including former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and chess champion Gary Kasparov.

They accuse the Kremlin of using its power to silence the opposition in advance of local and parliamentary elections.

Mr Kasparov said about 5,000 people took part in the march and called it a "major success".

Officials say between 2,000 and 3,000 took part and several dozen were detained.

The constitution requires Mr Putin to step down after his second term in 2008. Critics accuse him of trying to manage victory for a successor of his choosing.

[asd145]

[xcamel]

Related:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1794592/posts
(mighty good pictures though...)

[mainepatsfan]

Critics accuse him of trying to manage victory for a successor of his choosing.

By poisoning the opposition candidate?

[Paleo Conservative]

Will Putin step down after this term, or will he find some "legal" way to get out his term limits? Would that even matter? Will the KGB FSB just get another of its type to be the next president?

[asd145]

Thanks. I've searched the forum using the keyword "russia" and could not find any info about the demonstration - so I decided to post it (mostly for the sake of pictures).

[asd145]

Any opposing candidate who has good chances to win will simply not be allowed to participate in the elections. Plus total control over media.

[asd145]

I think he will find some way. For example, one of his buddies, say, Ivanov, gets "elected". Then after a couple of months some crisis situation is created, Ivanov steps down, Putin gets elected again and rules another 8 years - without formal violation of the constitution.

[Garvin]

Back In The USSR

Flew in from Miami Beach BOAC
Didn't get to bed last night
On the way the paper bag was on my knee
Man, I had a dreadful flight
I'm back in the USSR
You don't know how lucky you are, boy
Back in the USSR, yeah

Been away so long I hardly knew the place
Gee, it's good to be back home
Leave it till tomorrow to unpack my case
Honey disconnect the phone
I'm back in the USSR
You don't know how lucky you are, boy
Back in the US
Back in the US
Back in the USSR

Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out
They leave the west behind
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout
They Georgia's always on my my my my my my my my my mind
Oh, come on
Hu Hey Hu, hey, ah, yeah
yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm back in the USSR
You don't know how lucky you are, boys
Back in the USSR

Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out
They leave the west behind
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout
They Georgia's always on my my my my my my my my my mind

Oh, show me round your snow peaked
mountain way down south
Take me to you daddy's farm
Let me hear you balalaika's ringing out
Come and keep your comrade warm
I'm back in the USSR
Hey, You don't know how lucky you are, boy
Back in the USSR
Oh, let me tell you honey

Lennon/McCartney

[pleikumud]

I wonder if Russians have the right to bear arms?

When are there going to be "Nuremberg Trials" for communists and socialists who have committed mass murder, torture, and crimes against humanity in the former USSR, in today's China, in Cambodia, North Korea, South Vietnam, etc.? Tens of millions of people have been executed, starved to death, and tortured by totalitarian regimes other than Hitler's National Socialists. Many of the guilty are still living.

[xcamel]

I spent a week in St Pete about 10 years ago - it's an amazingly beautiful city, and full of wonderful people.

[ASOC]

Ditto
A warm summer day and the time to wander about, very nice indeed.

Seems to be more color and billboards than before, a shame because the buildings in the central area are quite pretty.

I did notice more than a few Hammer and Sickle flags in the photos and on the TV coverage....would these count as the obligatory "Reactionary Dogs" so popular just a few years ago?

[Thunder90]

Perhaps another color revolution is on the way. Hopefully, the Nazbols are marganalized before that happens.

[Thunder90]

The hammer and sickle flag on a white background belongs to a group called the National Boshleveks, a hybrid between Communist and Nazi tendancies. They have gotten into spats with both the Russian Government and the KPRF (Russian communist party)

[asd145]

Only smooth-bore guns are allowed.

The "Nuremberg trial" is unlikely because Russia is still ruled by the former Soviet elite and their descendants (though after grabbing most of the state property they like to parade themselves as capitalist "efficient owners" now).

[ASOC]

That combination *is* scary! Do they have any traction or are they just leftover old school Apparachik ?

[Freelance Warrior]

I wonder if Russians have the right to bear arms?

Shotgun licence to anyone with no criminal record and not on file as a drug/alcohol addict or a psycho. Registered hunters can carry arms in hunting grounds and transport upholstered elsewhere, others just keep shotguns at home.

Rifle licence to hunters after 5 years holding of a shotgun licence if there have been no accidents. Same carrying rights.

Handguns are banned for public.

[vertolet]

[asd145]

There is a good wikipedia article about NBP

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevik_Party

[ASOC]

THanks for the link, a good read. I'll just bet these little SOBs are just a *joy* when they show up at the party....

[vertolet]