Russian protesters fear Putin will get tough

Reuters ^ | Tue Mar 6, 2012 2:22pm EST | Timothy Heritage

[Olog-hai]

Russia's opposition said on Tuesday they feared Vladimir Putin had decided to use force to smother their protests after riot police detained hundreds of demonstrators challenging his presidential election victory.

After three months of peaceful anti-Putin protests, police hauled away more than 500 people, including opposition leaders, who attended unsanctioned protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg on Monday or refused to leave after a rally that was permitted.

The police intervention sent a clear signal that Putin is losing patience with opponents demanding more democracy, openness and political reforms, and will crack down if they step out of line.

"Fear of his own people, the animal fear of losing power, and a reliance on the police baton—this is what we are seeing," Boris Nemtsov, a liberal opposition leader, wrote in a blog.

Novelist Boris Akunin, who has helped organize the protests, said he no longer believed the next rally—planned for Saturday—could pass off without trouble.

"It is absolutely clear that the period of peaceful rallies and marches is over. I see no need to organize any march on March 10 because it will lead to a clear display of aggression by the authorities," he said. …

[Travis McGee]

Don’t eat the salad.

(Polonium Russian salad dressing.)

[Rome2000]

Yeah, our domestic commies in the WH and Congress are busy taking notes in case us real Americans who work for a living get uppity and try to stop them from stealing more of our cash through the electoral process.

When that fails, they will do it the old fashioned way, at gunpoint.