RUSSIA: Police in Moscow disperse an anti-Kremlin protest rally organised by Left Front

Record ID: 588846

  • Title: RUSSIA: Police in Moscow disperse an anti-Kremlin protest rally organised by Left Front
  • Date: 13th June 2011
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JUNE 12, 2011) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS ON SQUARE CHANTING "RUSSIA WITHOUT PUTIN!" PROTESTERS WITH RED PLACARDS CHANTING "THIS IS OUR CITY!" POLICE PUSHING ONE OF FEMALE PROTESTERS INTO POLICE BUS PROTESTERS WITH PLACARDS CHANTING "TO HELL WITH YOUR HOLIDAY! OUR RUSSIA IS SOVIET RUSSIA!" LEADER OF LEFT FRONT, SERGEI UDALTSOV ARRIVING AT RALLY JOURNALISTS WITH CAMERAS, PROTEST SUPPORTERS MOVING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LEADER OF LEFT FRONT, SERGEI UDALTSOV SAYING: "Despite the Day of Russia (official holiday) being celebrated today, we think that in the last 20 years Russia has not become a free and democratic country, it has not become a social state. That's why we want to hand over to the president's administration our so called 'black tag', a list of our demands. We think that the social and political course of the country should be radically changed." POLICE DRAGGING DETAINED UDALTSOV AND PUSHING HIM INTO POLICE BUS, UDALTSOV SHOUTING "FREEDOM!" POLICE DRAGGING AND PUSHING INTO BUS ANOTHER PROTESTER BUS WITH DETAINED PROTESTERS LEAVING VARIOUS OF POLICE WITH LOUDSPEAKER PERSUADING PEOPLE TO STOP UNSANCTIONED PROTEST
  • Embargoed: 28th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6GQP25R0VI2BLP10FSWGAQRWH
  • Story Text: More than 100 supporters of the Russian Left Front, human rights and environmental movements gathered at a central square near the Kremlin in Moscow on Sunday (June 12) to mark what they called a Day of Wrath, protesting against the government's current social and economic policy and demanding political changes in the country.
    Protesters chanted "Russia without Putin" and "This is our city", while some of them said they refused to recognise the official Day of Russia holiday, which the country celebrates on June 12, and chanted radical leftist slogans like "To hell with your holiday! Our Russia is Soviet Russia".
    Dozens of reporters, cameramen and photographers were there to cover the rally.
    Left Front movement leader Sergei Udaltsov arrived in the square with a black folder containing demands for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
    "Despite the Day of Russia being celebrated today, we think that in the last 20 years Russia has not become a free and democratic country, it has not become a social state. That's why we want to hand over to the president's administration our so called 'black tag', a list of our demands. We think that the social and political course of the country should be radically changed," Udaltsov told reporters on the square shortly before he and some other protesters were detained by police.
    Dozens of policemen were dispatched for security reasons as the rally was not sanctioned by the authorities.
    Police on the square ordered protesters to disperse in order not to harm people walking through the centre of the Russian capital.
    Russian independent radio station Echo of Moscow said, citing police sources, that 28 protesters including Udaltsov were detained.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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