The protests on Monday were sort of a litmus test to check if Navalny still enjoyed public support or the protest in March was an impulsive reaction that fizzled out. The mass-scale demonstrations follow allegations of corruption against Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The 50-minute report claimed that the prime minister had assembled a “corruption empire” that included properties, yachts and vineyards. Sneakers are used as a snide reference to the Prime Minister being a compulsive online shopper and owning 20 pairs of sneakers in just three months. With elections coming up soon, the authorities do not want Nevalny to garner more public support.

Source: Indian Express June 13, 2017 07:52 UTC