Kremlin critic held at forbidden rally
Navalny called for the protests after accusing Medvedev of controlling a shadowy network of NGOs
Thousands of Russians demonstrated across the country yesterday to protest corruption, defying bans on rallies that were called by prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny — who was arrested along with scores of others.
Navalny called for the protests after publishing a detailed report this month accusing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of controlling a property empire through a shadowy network of nonprofit organisations.
The report has been viewed over 11 million times on YouTube, but Medvedev has so far made no comments on the claims.
Navalny, who has announced his intention to run for president in next year’s election, has been rallying supporters in major Russian cities in recent weeks.
In Moscow, Navalny called on supporters to walk along the main Tverskaya street, and people congregated on the nearby squares lined with dozens of police vans and rows of riot officers as a police helicopter hovered overhead.
“We have all seen the movie, it gives specific examples of corruption and there has been no reaction,” said 26-year-old factory worker Nikolai Moisey.
“They steal and they lie, but still people will be patient to the end. The protest is a first push for people to start acting.”
Police detained Navalny shortly after 2pm (1100 GMT) as he was walking to the protest, putting him in a police minibus, and the surrounding crowd briefly tried to block it from driving off shouting “Shame!” and “Let him out!”
“Guys, I am all right, go on along Tverskaya,” Navalny tweeted from the van.
Putin issue
Thousands people filled Pushkin square, with some shouting “Russia without Putin”, referring to President Vladimir Putin. Some climbed on lamp posts and monument to poet Alexander Pushkin, shouting: “impeachment!”
Moscow police estimated protest turnout at 7,0008,000 people.
Police moved to detain protesters to clear the square, with some using truncheons and pepper spray apparently dispersed in the crowd, AFP correspondents observed.
Some cities officially sanctioned yesterday’s protest.