“Lord” is opposed to Putin opposition. He could not break the Russians, to fool them, handle their massive propaganda.
Sunday marked 17 years since the day when Vladimir Putin first became Russian President and began to expand the country toward an authoritarian system. Since that time, he occupied the Crimea and to continue the war in the Ukrainian Donbass. In Europe, Putin supported the nationalist, antirussische trends. For the European Union it has become a threat and its expansion were subjected to Western sanctions.
If Russia is destined for something to change, it must come from within: only the Russians, especially the youth, can speak out against Putin and his clique in power. Russia is not a free, democratic system. The opposition was made to intimidate, stalk, and critics of the regime from the ranks of citizens, journalists, politicians and representatives of the art world are imprisoned and killed.
Therefore, Sunday 26 March, Sunday the 17th anniversary of Putin’s presidency was extremely important and valuable. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, a 40-year-old lawyer, blogger, political activist, and critic of corruption in Russia, the Russian regime and opponent of Putin, organized a nationwide anti-corruption demonstrations. The protests began in the far East and covered the city to the West, up to Moscow. These performances reminded those that happened when Putin was again elected President (2011/2012).
On Sunday, people protested almost in 80 cities of Russia. However, only 20 of them protests were sanctioned. As reports “Echo of Moscow”, for example, in St. Petersburg the demonstration came about 20 thousand people. The police are downplaying the number of protesters. For example, according to the officials, the streets of Moscow there were eight thousand people, but observers suggest that we are talking about tens of thousands of protesters. (This is similar to the difference in the estimate of the number of demonstrators in Czechoslovakia in late 1989).
Oppositionist Navalny was detained on Tverskaya street in Moscow. But his colleagues conducted an online broadcast of the demonstrations across Russia (video watched about 140 thousand Russians). After his arrest, Navalny was put into a police car, but about a hundred people bothered to leave the car and then the road to it was blocked by another car. Leonid Volkov, Navalny’s colleague, who was the leading online translation, charged with incitement to hatred, hostility and humiliation of human dignity! (Here is a Russian democracy.)
Press Secretary Navalny wrote on Twitter that riot police tried to take away from the road cars to a police paddy wagon with the Bulk could leave, but people were not allowed to do. The protesters chanted avtozak: “Fascists! Fascists!” But Navalny wrote in the “Twitter” of the van: “Guys, I’m fine. I don’t need to recapture. Walk along Tverskaya. Our topic today — the fight against corruption.”
Bulk made it for us too
Several interesting observations. Twitter users who were on the demonstrations in various Russian cities, write that it is surprising how many young people.
Journalist Alexander Mitrofanov passed the words of the speakers at the rally in Belgorod: “For real capitalism, against the current of feudalism!” (the Putin regime as feudalism? Exactly). People in different cities chanted: “Thieves in court!”, “Enough of the lies and theft!”, “Resign!” In Saratov has sounded: “Putin — thief!” In Kazan chanted: “Putin, go away! We don’t need you! Resign! Resign!” In Voronezh: “the Medvedev — behind bars!”
Of course, today we do not know what the result of these protests. In Moscow and other cities in a wave of mass arrests on the streets a lot of police officers that in an authoritarian regime needless to say. Repression can gain momentum, Putin’s “feudalism” can still intensify in the future, and what today seems stringent conditions, will result in an even greater breach of civil liberties.
Or awakened civil society, end the indifference, the Russians dare to speak and protest, and this movement may result in the resignation of Putin. What we don’t know. Can occur both: the regime will become tougher, and the society wants more freedom and will be looking for the way to it.
Anyway, it is extremely important that the Russians are resisting. It is important for Russians and for Europeans and for Americans. European and American nationalists are supported by Putin, which they help pay. During the campaign, Donald trump acted like a “putinovets” (Crimea is not the problem, and the Donbass). Speaking of the Russian influence on American elections in favor of trump. In Germany, Austria and France, the nationalists connected with the Kremlin. Shortly before the presidential elections in France marine Le Pen called for Putin, thus confirming on whose side she stands.
Therefore for the West it is important that the Europeans saw the Lord Putin is opposed by the opposition, he could not break the Russians, to fool them, handle their massive propaganda. Western democratic politicians, activists, journalists need in this argument, as the Russian opposition, the Russian internal protest. By the way, all this is confirmed by the fact that the sanctions are meaningful, and help Russian civil society (Milos Zeman, perhaps, would say that they help the “Moscow tavern”).
In this sense, the action of the detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny was extremely important and meaningful, and affecting us, so he deserves our gratitude and support.
