Putin under fire
January 30, 2012
Hundreds of opposition activists jammed the center lanes of the 15-kilometer (none-mile) ring road that encircles Moscow's city center on Sunday, protesting against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's bid to return to power in Russia's March presidential elections.
Some activists drove cars decorated with white ribbons and balloons while other vehicles were covered completely with white paper. White symbolizes the anti-Putin protest movement. The operation was organized through social networking sites and the Internet by the Voters League, a civil society group formed by journalists, bloggers, writers and artists to campaign for democratic elections in the run-up to the March 4 presidential polls.
The organizers said that 3,000 cars joined the protest while police put the number at 300. The activists hope to attract at least 50,000 people for a protest in the center of Moscow on Saturday.
Anti-Putin protests erupted in December amid allegations that widespread fraud had skewed parliamentary elections. Tens of thousands subsequently took to the streets to protest against the victory of Putin's United Russia party.
Putin previously served as president from 2000 to 2008, a period that saw economic growth and rising living standards but restrictions on the media and civil liberties. He then stepped aside due to term limitations, taking the post of prime minister while his party compatriot Dmitry Medvedev assumed the presidency. Putin is expected to win the March presidential election, which would allow him to remain in power for at least another six years.
Author: Spencer Kimball (AP, Reuters, AFP)
Editor: Chuck Penfold