- Title: I'm done with Putin - Russians stage lone pickets near Red Square
- Date: 11th March 2020
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MARCH 11, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF YOUNG MAN HOLDING PLACARD READING (Russian): "PUTIN MUST LEAVE" / RED SQUARE IN BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF KREMLIN VIEWS VARIOUS OF PROTESTER, ALISA KONEEVA, HOLDING PLACARD READING (Russian): "I'M DONE WITH PUTIN" (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PROTESTER, ALISA KONEEVA, SAYING: "Many young people just lost the desire to develop, work and even stay in this country. If there were no coronavirus outbreaks, I think lots of people would already pack their bags. And even though we all understand everything, and Putin has signaled a long time ago that he would be in power forever. But it was the first time when he spoke about it so brazenly and openly." VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN OPPOSITION POLITICIAN, LEONID GOZMAN, HOLDING PLACARD READING (Russian): "PUTIN MUST LEAVE" (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN OPPOSITION POLITICIAN, LEONID GOZMAN, SAYING: "We deserve freedom and democracy just as much as other European countries. And what Vladimir Putin is doing now, it's just a wild despotism and disrespect for the law." VARIOUS OF POLICE IN FRONT OF RED SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PROTESTER, SERGEI, SAYING (HOLDING PLACARD READING (Russian): "LEAVE"): "The theatre act is being played out, I don't want to live under Putin's power 12 more years. That's why I came here, to speak up. I want this president to leave". MONUMENT TO VLADIMIR THE GREAT (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF YAKIMANKA MOSCOW DISTRICT, ANDREI MOREV, SAYING: "Today the Russian Parliament considered amendments to the constitution, which in fact allow usurping the power in the country and I came here to express my protest and I hope that our citizens will see all this and the majority will vote against these amendments proposed by Putin in April." WOMAN HOLDING PLACARD READING (Russian): "I'M DONE WITH PUTIN" / POLICEMEN TAKING PHOTO OF HER DOCUMENT VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GATHERING NEAR RED SQUARE WOMAN HOLDING PLACQARD READING (Russian): "I'M DONE WITH PUTIN" PEOPLE GATHERING NEAR MONUMENT
- Embargoed: 25th March 2020 18:54
- Keywords: Putin Putin presidency Russia Russia protest Russian constitution constitution changes lone pickets protest against Putin
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4LY6VB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Russian opposition activists on Wednesday (March 11) staged lone protest pickets near the Red Square against constitutional change allowing Vladimir Putin to run again for president.
Protesters displayed placards with the slogans, such as "I'm done with Putin", "Putin must leave", under the Monument to Vladimir the Great.
Putin, 67, who has dominated Russia's political landscape for two decades as either president or prime minister, made a dramatic appearance in the lower chamber a day earlier to argue that term limits were less important in times of crisis.
Constitutional changes allowing Vladimir Putin to run for president again in 2024 sailed through both houses of Russia's parliament on Wednesday, raising the prospect he could clock up over three decades in the Kremlin.
The amendments to the constitution will be put to a national vote on April 22.
(Production: Alexei Novik, Anastasia Adasheva) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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