Demonstrations Erupt in Russian Cities

Citizens protest in Moscow waving old Russian flags

What was once unthinkable has been happening on a very large scale: In Russia, streets have been choked by tens of thousands of protesters. From St. Petersburg to Moscow to Vladivostok, Russians have demonstrated against recent parliamentary elections that many people say were rigged in favor of the ruling party, United Russia. The protests are happening in advance of the presidential election in March 2012. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin hopes to be reelected to the presidency, which he held from 2000 to 2008.

Putin is a special target of the demonstrations, since he has been seen in Russia and elsewhere as limiting basic rights by harsh methods. Unperturbed by the rallies, Putin denounced the protesters as stooges of the West, claiming that some were paid for demonstrating. He even blamed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for inciting the unrest. On a talk show, Putin displayed a disdainful attitude toward the protesters, an attitude that didn’t help his cause. He was widely criticized for being out of touch with middle-class Russians.

Now Putin has a new headache—an opponent for the presidency. In a move that stunned Russian and American observers, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the NBA team the New Jersey Nets, announced his intention to run against Putin. Prokhorov made his mountains of money during the privatization of industries once controlled by the Soviet government. His particular fields were metals and finance. But is Prokhorov a genuine candidate? Various observers have proposed that his candidacy is not a serious challenge to Putin, since Putin’s critics are unlikely to rally around such a wealthy man, but is instead a plan to convince the protesters that the government is paying attention to them. The coming months may reveal the truth.

Image Credit: AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

Related Links

• Russian Elections: Biggest Protests Since Fall of USSR
  Read about the rallies in various Russian cities.
  (Source: BBC News, December 10, 2011)
• Putin Denounces Protesters, Rejects Rerun of Vote
  This article in the Boston Globe provides more detail about the protests and Putin’s defiance.
  (Source: Associated Press, December 15, 2011)
• Prokhorov: Kremlin Stooge?
  In this podcast interview, a Russia scholar proposes that Prokhorov’s campaign may be an attempt to provide a fake opposition.
  (Source: BBC News Online, December 13, 2011)
• A Russian Protest Song
  Watch a video about the protests set to music by a Russian rock band.
  (Source: PRI’s The World, December 14, 2011)
• Vladimir Putin
  Read about the life and career of Vladimir Putin.
  (Source: Wikipedia; accessed December 30, 2011)
• Mikhail Prokhorov
  Catch up on the Russian billionaire’s background.
  (Source: Wikipedia; accessed December 30, 2011)