World

Moscow Riot Police Arrest Dozens in New Year’s Anti-Government Protests

MOSCOW (AP) — Moscow police detained 68 people during anti-Kremlin protests that drew hundreds of people on New Year’s Eve. Police said about 50 were detained at a similar protest in St. Petersburg.

In Moscow, an opposition group had city permission to hold a rally on one corner of a central square and it took place peacefully, with its leaders dressed as Father Frost and the Snow Maiden.

Helmeted riot police detained people gathering elsewhere on the square, including prominent opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov and Ilya Yashin.

Protesters demanded that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin step down and called for the release of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the oil tycoon whose prison sentence was extended Thursday after a trial seen as punishment for challenging Putin’s power.

Nemtsov called Putin a threat to Russia: “He cannot run the country, he suffers from a range of manias and we are the hostages of his complexes. Therefore I think the quicker we get rid of him the better it would be for Russia.”

Police spokesman Viktor Biryukov said Nemtsov was detained when he tried to lead a group of protesters on a march.

Friday’s protests were the latest in a series of actions held on the last day of every month with 31 days. The date is a nod to the 31st Article of the Russian constitution, which guarantees the right of assembly.

“It is the most important of our rights because we cannot influence the government,” Lyudmila Alexeyeva, who heads the Moscow Helsinki Group, told the crowd at the sanctioned rally, which took place inside an enclosure that could only be reached by passing through metal detectors. “We do not have fair elections. We can only have an influence by going out in the street.”

Alexeyeva, who at 83 is one of Russia’s most respected rights activists, was dressed in the light blue robe of the Snow Maiden. She debuted the costume at last year’s protest, which was banned, and she was pushed into police buses along with the dozens of others who were detained.

The protest in St. Petersburg on Friday was banned, and police said they detained the activists when they refused to disperse.

Since coming to power 11 years ago, Putin has rolled back many of the democratic achievements of the 1990s.

Comments (30)

  • Passerby
    Posted on January 2, 2011 at 3:00am

    The middle class of the entire first world has been in the streets in the last few months. Different reasons given, but the same reason behind all of it.

    “Free” trade, where the middle class competes with those that make $1 a day, with no OSHA, no workman’s comp, no EPA is reducing them to third world poverty.

    The lie, was that everyone in the US would be computer programmers, but it’s much harder now for the middle class to send their children to college, and foreigners aren‘t genetically defective where they can’t figure out how to program computers too.

    Good for multinational corporation profits. Looks good on the quarterly report…for now. And good for world peace, Communist China not likely to nuke us since they own us and all.

    But a slow grind into desperate poverty for the average American.

    Report Post » Passerby  
  • newrepublic7
    Posted on January 1, 2011 at 11:13pm

    I am confused about why the video was about the UK and the article is about Russia !
    Doesn’t video get out of Russia anymore? No local news coverage of the event Comrades? Right …

    Still very strange. Next they will tell us a story about the Tea Party and show black and white footage of WW2 and Nazi Germany!

    Report Post » newrepublic7  
  • Bernard
    Posted on January 1, 2011 at 3:09pm

    One of the problems of violent revolutions that overthrow governments is that one set of thugs are replaced by another set of thugs who end up doing exactly the same issues of the government they overthrew.

    Report Post »  
  • jstol3
    Posted on January 1, 2011 at 1:47pm

    Here is another story about Boris Nemtsov with a link to his blog. Does anyone read Russian?

    http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2010/08/boris_nemtsov

    Report Post » jstol3  
  • jstol3
    Posted on January 1, 2011 at 1:44pm

    Their movement is called “Solidarity”. I did a quick search but could not find a website for them.

    Report Post » jstol3  
  • osagetrail
    Posted on January 1, 2011 at 9:37am

    Welcome to Putin’s THUGOCRACY. The russian police are drunk most of the time so I am amazed they had enough cops able to walk to the protest.

    Report Post »  
  • pamela kay
    Posted on January 1, 2011 at 12:10am

    Maybe I am foolish for thinking this, but I hope the strength of the Tea-Party (and those who may not belong to the Tea-Party but want the same things that we do) have had an influence not only here but around the world. The voice of the people must always be heard. When I see what is happening around the world it gives me hope and further proves that socialism never works. Happy New Year to all, God Bless and may 2011 be the begining of the rebirth of our greast nation.

    Report Post » pamela kay  
  • dontbotherme
    Posted on January 1, 2011 at 12:08am

    The Right to Assemble is already under attack in this country. But we are fighting, peacefully & within the law, to keep that right & so far, it is working in most instances. Freedom of speech is under attack. Freedom to practice our religion is under attack. So many freedoms are disappearing. We must stand with copies of our Constitution & Bill of Rights clutched in our hands and follow God’s lead. Have a Happy New Year Everyone!

    Report Post »  
  • Internet AnchormanTV
    Posted on December 31, 2010 at 10:08pm

    This is a great example of what is coming to America. FBI is already watching tea party and other patriot groups. They just need a false flag terror event to really clamp down.
    http://www.internetanchorman.tv

    Report Post » www.InternetAnchorman.TV  
  • techengineer11
    Posted on December 31, 2010 at 9:19pm

    Putin as a Nationalist is despised by the New World Order Marxist. They actually encourage the teaching of Christianisty in their schools in Russia today while it has been outlawed by the NWO Marxist in America? Please America, wake up before these NWO Marxist slaughter us all like they did the Russians in the early 20th century.. Same people. Saime aims. Different nation. Wake up!

    Report Post » techengineer11  
  • Cuthalu
    Posted on December 31, 2010 at 7:08pm

    It would help if someone was to actually educate those students protesting that they are not entitled to a “free” college education. Nor “free” anything else for that matter. They have been conditioned for so many years that they are entitled to anything they want, that they blame everyone but themselves when those entitlements starts to be pulled from them. Pathetic.

    Report Post »  
    • ChiefGeorge
      Posted on December 31, 2010 at 9:09pm

      Rightly said.

      There is no returning to an America of yesteryear. We are well beyond beyond the point of no return simply because how we got here was based on a strong fabric of Judeao-Christian values which have for the most part been purged from our society. Re-instituting them would take atleast two generations just like losing them did. We will move forward but not in the way some may think.

      Have a Safe and prepared 2011.

      Report Post » ChiefGeorge  
    • Grandpa
      Posted on January 1, 2011 at 7:12pm

      I must agree and disagree with George. I agree the loss of JC values has led to our situation. I disagree that it will take 2 generations to restore them. We’re talking about millions of individual life changing decisions. The gov‘t is stopping people from reaching points in their lives where they are willing to trust God because there’s nothing for them else to do. At that point the churches must be ready to help people change their lives. Once a person has really changed then (s)he‘s on God’s side

      Report Post »  
  • TEXMAN
    Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:54pm

    That‘s where we’ve been heading. Our gov already put up no protest zones where you can’t even wear a button displaying your stance. Russians moved here thinking they‘d be safe from that kind of treatment and instead we’ve moved more towards it. No wonder their fleeing the democratic party. And that’s people who knew what its like to live in a communist country.

    Report Post »  
  • Sledgehammer
    Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:33pm

    This is An Obama dream, or nightmare!

    Report Post » Sledgehammer  
    • snowleopard3200 {cat folk art}
      Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:38pm

      A marxist-socialist-progressive state under the total subjugation of the government is his dream; the nightmare he has is seen in the 8/28 rally and those of the tea parties – the power of a united and madder than hell American People.

      We will Win!!!

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • J.C. McGlynn
      Posted on December 31, 2010 at 7:14pm

      Is this what happens when you go capitalist?

      Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
    • NancyBee
      Posted on December 31, 2010 at 10:04pm

      I hope we win, Snowleopard….Happy New Year

      Report Post » NancyBee  
    • guyperram
      Posted on January 1, 2011 at 3:40pm

      JC this is what happens when an opressive marxist state makes the “mistake” of allowing ti’s people to see a little freedom. They want more.
      As we descend into the dark, they are fighting to get into the light.

      Report Post »  
  • NJartificer
    Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:24pm

    Nemtsov & Alexeyeva we wish you the best of luck…….keep up the good fight.

    Report Post »  
  • tobefreeinmt
    Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:18pm

    St. Petersburg hell. Leningrad! Welcome back comrade! Your missiles were getting cold, but we were keeping them warm for you.

    Report Post » tobefreeinmt  
  • New-American-Saviors
    Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:03pm

    Perhaps instead of wearing Funny Hats and getting drunk….America should adopt a similar stance ..til we become the REAL America again !
    4th of July….New Years Eve… and HOPE for the radical American Communists to bring us a good May Day 2011 !

    Report Post »  
    • HillBillySam1
      Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:22pm

      I’m with you…..as long as I get to wear tthe Snow Maiden outfit…..

      Report Post »  
    • TruthTalker
      Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:24pm

      This is what Frances Fox Piven is hoping Barry creates here.

      Report Post »  
    • Cobra Blue
      Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:24pm

      Wishing all of you a Happy New Year from the new Soviet Union…..Peace out! LOL

      Report Post »  
    • snowleopard3200 {cat folk art}
      Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:36pm

      The nightmare the Obama administration wants is violence and chaos; the demonstrations of 8/28, and of the tea parties shows what HIS and the Progressives ULTIMATE nightmare is. They have lost the war, we still have battles to fight though.

      In America the very diversity of our land makes the greatest of strengths; America is the dream of all her people, to have the opportunity to achieve their dreams, just as Obama has – only his is the nightmare for America and against everything we stand for.

      http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • CatB
      Posted on December 31, 2010 at 6:52pm

      WE MUST continue to PEACEFULLY assemble .. in the name of Liberty! Remember Pelosi and Co. trying to incite a riot with the TEA Party on passing Obamacare (with her HUGE gavel).. when they do this we should turn our backs on them and REFUSE to be taughted .. we have the ultimate power and they know it … expose the truth and vote them OUT!

      Report Post »  
    • Into The Night
      Posted on December 31, 2010 at 10:24pm

      Politicians LIE people DIE!

      Download the new thriller from Amazon Studios for free!

      http://studios.amazon.com/scripts/2761

      Report Post » Into The Night  

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