Moscow marches against Putin
- 12 years ago
Mass arrests, fines, and police raids, or as Russia's opposition puts it - another six years of business-as-usual under Vladimir Putin.
Thousands march in Moscow against government corruption and what they see as attacks on their rights.
Putin again moved to stamp down unrest last week by signing a law that drastically increases fines for protesters.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MOSCOW RESIDENT GALINA SHASHANOVA, SAYING:
"(We're here) because we've all understood for a long time that the country is in deadlock, that we need to change something immediately. This feeling gets stronger every day because every day it gets stuffier and, in fact scarier."
Federal investigators earlier interrogated opposition leaders over violence at a May protest.
Alexei Navalny said it was a ploy to keep him and other organisers from the rally.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) OPPOSITION LEADER ALEXEI NAVALNY, SAYING:
"There is no investigation, it's complete fiction, there was actually no (organised) disorder, it's complete rubbish which they have fabricated in order to create problems (for us)."
Despite growing unrest, Putin's large support base easily delivered him the presidency in March.
Lindsey Parietti, Reuters
Thousands march in Moscow against government corruption and what they see as attacks on their rights.
Putin again moved to stamp down unrest last week by signing a law that drastically increases fines for protesters.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MOSCOW RESIDENT GALINA SHASHANOVA, SAYING:
"(We're here) because we've all understood for a long time that the country is in deadlock, that we need to change something immediately. This feeling gets stronger every day because every day it gets stuffier and, in fact scarier."
Federal investigators earlier interrogated opposition leaders over violence at a May protest.
Alexei Navalny said it was a ploy to keep him and other organisers from the rally.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) OPPOSITION LEADER ALEXEI NAVALNY, SAYING:
"There is no investigation, it's complete fiction, there was actually no (organised) disorder, it's complete rubbish which they have fabricated in order to create problems (for us)."
Despite growing unrest, Putin's large support base easily delivered him the presidency in March.
Lindsey Parietti, Reuters