Russia police arrest Kremlin critic Nemtsov, others

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Reuters:

Boris Nemtsov, a leader of the anti-Kremlin, liberal Union of Right Forces (SPS) party, speaks during a news conference in Moscow November 26, 2007. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

Boris Nemtsov, a leader of the anti-Kremlin, liberal Union of Right Forces (SPS) party, speaks during a news conference in Moscow November 26, 2007.

Credit: Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin

By Ben Judah and Denis Pinchuk

MOSCOW/ST.PETERSBURG | Sat Jul 31, 2010 5:34pm BST

MOSCOW/ST.PETERSBURG (Reuters) – Police arrested anti-Kremlin opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in Moscow and at least 95 others at demonstrations in cities across Russia on Saturday against restrictions on freedom of assembly.

In St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, 60 out of about 200 protesters were arrested. A Reuters reporter said some had bleeding noses and some had their heads beaten against police buses.

In Moscow, along with Nemtsov — a fierce critic of Russia’s ruling elite — the police arrested Left Front opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov and at least 35 others.

Mikhail Schneider, executive secretary of the Solidarity movement, told Reuters the protests were intended to promote democracy.

“We’re here because the government has broken the constitution,” he said. “Pay greater attention because people are lying to you about democracy in Russia.”

Earlier in Vladivostok, no arrests were made in a protest of about 30 people.

(Writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Louise Ireland)

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

9 Replies to “Russia police arrest Kremlin critic Nemtsov, others”

  1. In many ways Russia is still the same old Russia with a new face and look . Little hes changed in the area of free speech or expression of political ideas the differ from the present regime. The KGB is now the FSB and can detain citizens on even the most flimsy of charges. This is one of the many methods used to keep everyone in ‘line’.

  2. It should be easier for Russia to enforce totalitarian policies now that they don’t have communism holding them back.

  7. No problem.
    G. W. will come to Berlin on 2. October 2010. This could be the first step for an international Anti-Islamic Party or organized Movement!