RUSSIA: Group of young women mark Valentine's Day urging women to deny love to men who support ruling party United Russia

Record ID: 335270

  • Title: RUSSIA: Group of young women mark Valentine's Day urging women to deny love to men who support ruling party United Russia
  • Date: 14th February 2009
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FEBRUARY 14, 2009) (REUTERS) YOUNG WOMEN PROTESTERS WITH POSTERS READING: "EITHER ME OR PUTIN" AND "THERE IS NO PLACE FOR BEARS IN BED" CHANTING "WE DO NOT SLEEP WITH PUTINISTS" PROTESTERS CHANTING: "NO CHILDREN FROM PUTINISTS" CROWD WATCHING, POLICEMAN AND OLD MAN AMONG IT SPARROWS FLYING AWAY (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) YOUNG PARTICIPANT OF THE PROTEST EVGENYA
  • Embargoed: 1st March 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA8PEDAP45VA41DASJB8R7BPLYZ
  • Story Text: Dressed in scarves and woollen hats against Moscow's biggest snowfall of the year, a small of group of young women on Saturday (February 14) carried posters and chanted slogans including "We do not sleep with Putinists", "Either me or Putin" and "There is no place for bears in bed" -- a play on the meaning of Medvedev's name, bear.
    The protest was organised by "MY" ("WE") movement which claims John Lennon's Imagine as its unofficial anthem and says its key aim is to ensure that Russians' rights and freedoms become a political priority. "When you meet a young man, what's your first question to him? Is he a member of (Putin's party) United Russia?," asked one of the protesters.

    "The fact that a man is a member of the United Russia party or supports the policy of our horrible government can become a reason to deny him our love, as it is a very important lever," said Evgenia during the protest.
    However not everyone agreed with their sentiment -- some girls appeared across the street, carrying a large pink heart with a picture of Putin in the middle and shouting "Our men are the best".
    Putin, a 56-year old former KGB spy, cultivated a macho image during his eight years as President and made it into glossy magazines across the world in 2007 by donning combat trousers and baring his muscular torso for photographers while on a fishing trip in the Yenisei river.
    He also stormed into the Russian music charts in 2002 as the subject of a song called "A man like Putin", whose female singer proclaims to want Putin for his non-drinking, strong ways.
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