Thousands of people crowded in St.Petersburg on Sunday for an unsanctioned protest against the Russian government, the biggest gathering in a wave of nationwide protests that were the most extensive show of defiance in years. An organization that monitors Russian political repression, OVD-Info, said it counted more than 800 people arrested in the Moscow demonstrations alone. Some Russian state news media gave relatively cursory reports on the demonstrations, while the state news TV channel Rossiya-24 ignored them altogether in evening broadcasts. “I am a bit scared.”Scuffles with police erupted sporadically and the arrested demonstrators included a gray-haired man whom police dragged along the pavement. There were no comments reported from Putin, Medvedev or other top Russian politicians, leaving in doubt what the Kremlin’s strategy may be for countering the protests.

Source: Washington Post March 27, 2017 01:07 UTC