Opponents of President Vladimir Putin began arriving in Saint Petersburg for a protest rally earlier today, a day after police broke up a protest in Moscow and arrested of opposition leader Garry Kasparov.
The Other Russia, a coalition of groups that accuse Putin of creating an authoritarian state, was planning to march through the centre of Russia's second city, St. Petersburg.
In Saint Petersburg, arrests began hours before the activists had even gathered. Marina Litvinovich, an aide to Kasparov, said she and eight more members of The Other Russia were detained on arrival in Saint Petersburg today.
"We were arrested when we got off the train. They told us this was connected to the demonstration," . "Formally, this was for a documents check, but then they told us we were on the federal wanted list.... They did not say why."
Tensions are rising ahead of the March 2008 presidential election to replace dictator Putin, who is constitutionally required to step down at the end of his second term.
Opponents say that overwhelming dominance is the result of a powerful state media machine, an economic bonanza from high world oil prices, and the growing power of the security forces.
The Other Russia ranges from pro-Western liberals to radical leftists, groups with little in common other than the stated goal of pushing for democratic elections in 2008.
Yesterday police have detained about 250 participants of the opposition March of Dissent in downtown Moscow.
"About 250 participants of mass events were detained Saturday, mainly for administrative offenses,"
Some 9,000 policemen have been summoned to provide security in Moscow during the march that gathered supporters and members of the Other Russia organization that includes the People's Patriotic Union led by former Premier Mikhail Kasyanov, the National Bolshevik Party, the United Civil Front led by world chess champion Garry Kasparov and the Republican Party.
Human rights advocates in Russia and abroad have criticized the Kremlin for tightening its grip on democracy and human freedoms ever since Vladimir Putin took presidential office in 2000.
Russian human rights activists remarked that the detention of United Civic Front leader Garry Kasparov and the leaders of opposition youth organizations who attempted to take part in the so-called March of Dissent on Saturday, was unlawful.
"Certainly, this is a gross violation of human rights," Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group said. "This violates the constitution, under which Russian citizens have the right to hold rallies and demonstrations," Alexeyeva said.
"With these detentions, the authorities are trying to reduce the number of dissenters, but in fact they are only increasing it. At the same time, nobody can say that participants in the March of Dissent resorted to violence. This was a peaceful action.
The actions of the Kremlin regime could backfire as its severe crackdown on the peaceful protestors led to a number of arrests. People will revolt more if their voices are not allowed to be heard. Overall this is a result of growing man made ideas, rules and regulations which are fragile and not steady.
KC
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