Thousands of Russian demonstrators hit the streets in Moscow with huge banners and sickles protesting the court proceedings against 12 demonstrators now on trial for sedition in a Moscow court.
Putin has already spoken of the twelve protesters as a 'Washington born conspiracy against him."
It seems however, that Russian citizens, or at least Moscow denizens, are not quite in line with Putin's hardened stance. The longer he remains in power, the more Russians fear a return to a Stalin-like autocracy.
But what really galls the Russians is the incredible amount of graft and collusion in the country.
The rally that took place today was led by anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny, and it was dubbed a 'March against butchers.'
Many chants were heard calling for Putin's resignation. Only recently allegations have surfaced of a billion dollar scam where Putin and his inner circle might have pocketed the immense sum from the money allotted to the Sochi winter games.
Even Putin's recent divorce announcement has been taken as an indication of his increasing intolerance and arrogance.
But chiefly the protest was to promote the awareness of the unjust accusations against the twelve demonstrators accused of sedition, and also falsely accused of inciting violence. There is no telling what sentence the twelve will receive, but 10 are under arrest without a possibility of bail until the trial begins.
Some of this awareness was kick started by the Pussy Riot arrest and the incredibly long sentence that followed for what many called an act of artistic protest.
Putin in fact, has been in power under one guise or another for the past 13 years, and there is no indication he will leave or be removed in the near future.
But the trial of the twelve, on the heels of the Pussy Riot sentencing, has become symbolic of the lengths to which Putin will go to silence his opponents. And if he cannot arrest them for protesting, then false charges of embezzlement are usually concocted against the offender. Navalny himself has been charged with the latter crime, and faces 10 years in prison.
Russia is moving in a retrograde fashion on many fronts. On Tuesday a dreaded law that would have made publication of any material talking about homosexuality or homosexual themes punishable by law sailed through the Duma, with the excuse that the material could ruin the morality of teenagers and offend religious believers.
Source : France 24/ 6.11.13
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