MOSCOW - Russian authorities closed Moscows Red Square on Sunday and detained dozens of people trying to hold a silent anti-government protest there, prompting opposition charges that they were denying Russians their right to free assembly.
Several hundred people responded to calls on the Internet to gather in Red Square outside the Kremlin wearing white ribbons or clothing as a symbol of protest, but found the iron gates to the sprawling square closed.
Police detained four people heading for the square from a nearby subway station, and later picked people out of the crowd at the gates and pushed them into buses. A police spokesman said about 55 people had been detained near Red Square for attempting to hold an unsanctioned demonstration.
Opposition leaders say the government violates Russians constitutional right to free assembly by requiring permission from local authorities for street demonstrations. Police often disperse unsanctioned rallies and detain protesters.
On Saturday, riot police detained about 60 people in Moscow and 15 in St. Petersburg, dispersing protesters shouting Russia without Putin and Freedom of Assembly: Always and Everywhere!
Activists said the authorities would have no reason to detain people simply strolling on Red Square with white ribbons. Bachina said she believed the square was closed because the authorities are frightened.
Police officers gave various reasons for the closure of the square, one saying it was shut for repair work, while another cited an unspecified event due to be held there.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/02/2012 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11133 views]
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#1
Russians have rights?
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/02/2012 16:05 Comments ||
Top||
#2
On second thought, Guess Not.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/02/2012 16:07 Comments ||
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#3
Wonder if the Times realizes this is probably their last election no matter what so they might as well go out with a bang, or if some might reign it in and try for some credibility. .
#4
This is a hilarious article, but I remember when the aliens "Gephardtized" Steve Dallas's brain, turning him into a church-going New Age feminist vegan. I also recall McGovern and Kerry, among others, being accused of flip-flopping.
According to Wikipedia (I know, I know), the NYT mentions political flip-flopping back in 1890. (But they didn't have quantum theory back then.) Everything old is new again at the Times!
#7
A Feynman diagram of an encounter between a Romney and an anti-Romney. The resulting collision annihilates both, leaving behind a single electron and a $20 bill.
OK, that's funny! But then, I love quantum mechanics jokes.
The article, however, is a fine example of how the media will do *anything* to slime whoever even looks like they might be running against B-HO. Expect a lot more before November.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
MOSCOW - Russian authorities closed Moscows Red Square on Sunday and detained dozens of people trying to hold a silent anti-government protest there, prompting opposition charges that they were denying Russians their right to free assembly.
