E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters
Police in St. Petersburg, Russia, detain an opposition activist during a Wednesday protest against recent election results.
Police in Russia's two largest cities arrested scores of demonstrators Wednesday in a third straight night of protests against alleged election fraud by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party.
The demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg appeared to attract fewer protesters than in previous days, roughly 300 in each city, but Russians' willingness to risk jail time and clashes with police indicates significant anger.
Russian police, who gave a show of force Wednesday, have detained more than 1,000 people since Monday.
Hundreds of helmeted riot police blocked off a Moscow square after nightfall Wednesday, pushing back reporters and shouting through loudspeakers: "Respected citizens, please do not stop, walk on your way so as not to hinder others."
Three youths emerged near a subway station entrance, chanting: "We want free elections!." Riot police marched them off to one of the dozens of police buses and truck that lined the streets nearby.
In St. Petersburg, about 250 people protested, most of them youngsters, shouting "Shame!" Police detained about 70.
Kremlin opponents are trying to maintain momentum after 5,000 people turned out on Monday night for the largest opposition protest in Moscow in years, demanding fair elections and chanting "Russia without Putin!."
Police and Putin's spokesman have said unapproved protests will be stopped. The Interior Ministry said some 50,000 officers and 2,000 ministry troops remained in Moscow after the election.
A test of the drive to pressure Putin with street protests will come on Saturday, when opponents hope for a big turnout at a rally near the Kremlin.
Two protest leaders arrested after Monday's rally will still be in jail then. A judge on Wednesday rejected appeals filed by Alexei Navalny and Ilya Yashin against the 15-day jail terms they received the previous day.
Putin undaunted
Monday's protest, fanned by fraud accusations that spread on the Internet, underscored anger at United Russia and unhappiness among some Russians at the prospect of Putin's almost certain return to the Kremlin in a March presidential vote.
Voters bruised Putin in Sunday's election by sharply reducing his party's majority in the State Duma lower house.
Undeterred, Putin filed candidacy papers for the March 4 presidential vote, submitting the documents in a brief, nearly silent visit to the Central Election Commission headquarters.
Registration as a candidate is a formal step towards what could be another 12 years in the top job for Putin, 59, who was president from 2000 to 2008 and is now prime minister but remains Russia's paramount leader.
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has urged Russian authorities to annul the results of Sunday's vote and hold a new one. He says "ignoring public opinion discredits the authorities and destabilizes the situation."
This story includes reporting from Reuters and The Associated Press.
Related stories:
Mikhail Gorbachev: Annul Russian election results, hold new vote
Social media make anti-Putin protests 'snowball'
Earlier: Russia's 'Arab Spring'? Clashes break out in 2 cities
Moscow official: I helped rig Russian election
Also on msnbc.com:
Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years in prison
Leave a Comment:
Hard to imagine that in the near future we could see a communist Russia again.
I can't see that it would help the stability of the region and if anything it would increase the possibility of Russia engaging itself in nearby regions, to counter NATO activities.
I don't think this will be anything like what's going on in the middle east. Russia gives it's citizens just enough freedom to protest, as long as it's approved and scheduled. They'll give the citizens just enough to quell them while efficiently arresting them until it stops.
They won't do a violent crackdown, just quickly quiet the protestors.
Russia is still awakening from a long slumber. I have seen little evidence in the U.S. media to suggest they understand Russia. While the communist party did well, it is not communism on the rise in Russia. It is nationalism.
Nationalism? Perhaps in St. Petersburgh and Moscow but, the rest of Russia, appears to want nothing less than full on westernized good ol' capitalism.
It seems a trend in the world at the moment to protest or riot. Occupy wall street, Arab Spring, Russian Elections, European Debt and London Riots just to name a few.
With a country that unstable (and corrupt) with a ton of nukes, doesn't that just make you feel 100% safe?
Ruken We just sentenced a governor for corruption in Illinois and we also have a ton of nukes and we do invade other countries. Doesn't that just make you feel 100% safe?
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/07/9275402-blagojevich-sentenced-to-14-years-in-prison
Another positive comment from romilio
He is just stating a fact.
The elections were completely fair. WE like the USA require permits to protest. Failure to obey will result in arrest just like in the USA.
The More things change in Russia the More they stay the same!
The Best anyone can do is to Embarrass Putin and his clique -- IF that's at all possible?
Nothing New will happen there until the current adult population dies off in the next 10 years!
That is pretty much the same everywhere.
American have their police and national security forces to protect them from trouble makers and Russia has the Kremlin. Its the same. America leaders call protesters lazy, dirty, beat them, arrest them, its the same thing. NYC mayor gives orders for the news people to be kept away from the US government attacks on protesters. Its the same.
Пол:
Ситуация не то же самое в США, как в России.Мэр не может предотвратить любые средств массовой информации (прессе) сообщать новости.Роль национального правительства в США и что в русском Федерации не то же самое.
Я знаю, что Россия не понаслышке, я жил в Москве с 2007 года.
Добрый вечер.
American elections are not fair. George Bush did not get the most votes. The High Court annointed him president. So those votes didnt count.
Paul, you don't have to have the most votes to win elections in the US. The most electoral votes win.
Lol, I can just imagine what the elderly are thinking over there; "This would never happen under Uncle Joe." Anyway, I hope to see the same thing happen in the PRC. Yeah, well, it won't. If protesters pulled that in the PRC they'd be hauling off the bodies in trucks. Or, making relatives carry them to the open pits.
deltaecho:
There is no "Soviet Russia".
the us better keep an eye on russia and putin, he is real cozy with the radical middle east crazies, and the russian people are not protesting the elections for nothing,
Was Gorbachev the last decent head of government on that land?
How soon they forget the days of 1998. No food - not money... Глупые дураки.
just like the us