Saturday's Demonstration in Moscow Shows Opposition's Determination
Last Saturday, December 15th, Russian leaders of the political opposition took part in an unsanctioned demonstration. This protest, which took place in Lubyanka Square near a monument to victims of Soviet political repression, was an act of defiance against a law signed by President Putin in June that fines participants $9,000 and organizations $18,000 for taking part in protests without permits. Lawmaker Dmitri Gudkov stated, “Today we showed the authorities that we have principles and dignity, that they cannot forbid us from taking a walk in our own city, because we will come anyway.
There is still protest and we want change, and they can’t frighten us with detention or pressure or searches or arrests or anything else.
If you want to avoid massive acts of protest, initiate reforms, my friends, and the people will not come out to protests.”