Despitefreezing temperatures, on Saturday, tens of thousands gathered to
demand an end to corrupt Russian politics led by the 12-year rule of
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Protests have taken place over the last few weeks and while officials
have promised changed ways, protesters are hesitant to believe without
seeing the proof. However, many of the young protesters have promised to
continue until they see the change they have been promised.
Organizers estimate Saturday’s attendance at 120,000, which is far
larger than one held two weeks ago, potentially indicating a growing
strength. Many are hoping that if they continue with this course they
will see change over the next few years.
“We don’t know who the leader might be, because there is no person
who represents us,” Viktor Shenderovich, a popular writer, told the
crowd. “But this is an expression of moral attitude. People don’t want
to be stepped on,” as reported by The Washington Post.
While the turnout was strong, the protest remained peaceful.
According to The Washington Post,
Alexei Navalny, a popular blogger and anti-corruption activist who has
emerged as a leader of the opposition said, “I can see enough people to
conquer the Kremlin right now. But we are not going to do it because we
are peaceful. But we cannot be patient forever.”
As a result of the demonstrations, President Dmitry Medvedev announced earlier in the week that steps would be taken to “liberalize politics, reduce corruption and free the media.” However, protesters are skeptical and await further action.
The protests are a result of unhappiness among the people that began
in September when Medvedev and Putin announced that they would swap
jobs, allowing Putin to return to the presidency after he was forced to
step down in 2008 due to term limits. Furthermore, allegations of fraud
during the parliamentary elections on December 4th only fueled the
discontent. As TIME
reported, Mikhail Salkin, who was working at the polls allegedly
discovered colleagues destroying voting documents and replacing them
with fraudulent ones allowing, the ruling United Russia party, led by
Putin, to garner many more votes than it had actually received.
