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New Russian protest sees smaller turnout
Some 3,000 protesters gathered on Saturday in Moscow’s Bolotnaya square for a rally against election violations as Russia’s Communist party nominated its leader to challenge Vladimir Putin in March presidential polls.
Some 3,000 protesters gathered on Saturday in Moscow’s Bolotnaya square for a rally against election violations as Russia’s Communist party nominated its leader to challenge Vladimir Putin in March presidential polls.
The rally, organised by the liberal Yabloko party was the fourth in a series of protests against what is perceived as a rigged election on December 4.
The rally was nowhere near as big as one a week earlier which drew over 50,000 people to the same square in the largest protest demonstration in Moscow since the early 1990s.
About 3,000 people gathered at the square, according to an AFP correspondent, while Moscow police estimated the turnout at 1,500.
“Our goal is to change today’s political system, which lies, which is corrupt, and serves the interests of a small group of people,” Yabloko founder Grigory Yavlinsky said.
“People’s attitude has changed, they are ready to protest, no matter who wins the elections, one should not take people for idiots,” said protester Igor Sevolodovich.
