[Peace-discuss] In the streets

[C. G. Estabrook]

[And Putin is by far the most popular national leader in Europe.  --CGE]

	BBC NEWS
	Thousands protest across Russia

Thousands of people have held rallies across Russia protesting against what they
describe as the government's mismanagement of the economy.

The biggest demonstration took place in the eastern city of Vladivostok, where
protesters demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

In the capital Moscow, police arrested a number of people at an unauthorised
gathering by a radical party.

Meanwhile, government supporters also held their rallies across the country.

Protests on such a large scale were unthinkable just a few months ago as the
economy boomed with record high oil prices and as the Kremlin tightened its grip
over almost all aspects of society, the BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says.

But now with the economy in deep trouble, there is real fear amongst ordinary
people about what the future will hold, he says.

He adds that unemployment is rising rapidly, as are the prices of basic food and
utilities.

Putin's 'policy bankruptcy'

In Vladivostok, the anti-government demonstration was called by the Communist Party.

"The crisis is in the heads of the authorities, not in the economy!" chanted
protesters.

The protest was joined by a local group angered by higher tariffs imposed on
cars imported to the city.

The region has thrived on the car import business and the government's decision
has led to job losses, correspondents say.

In Moscow, police detained a number of members of the radical National Bolshevik
Party, including its leader Eduard Limonov.

Separately, our correspondent says he witnessed a small group of supporters of
former world chess champion Gary Kasparov - who is now an opposition figure -
being attacked by unknown masked men before later being arrested by police.

Earlier, about 1,000 supporters of the Communist Party were allowed by the
authorities to hold their demonstration in the capital.

Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said the economic crisis had exposed the
bankruptcy of Mr Putin's policies.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/7862370.stm

Published: 2009/01/31 15:08:54 GMT

© BBC MMIX

John W. wrote:
> This was fascinating not only for its link to Chris Floyd's blog, but for
> Chris Floyd's further link to Arthur Silber's blog.  Both are extremely
> thought-provoking.  Thanks, Carl.
> 
> John Wason
> 
> 
> On Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 12:46 AM, C. G. Estabrook <galliher at uiuc.edu 
> <mailto:galliher at uiuc.edu>> wrote:
> 
> Paris When it Sizzles: The French Say No to Fat-Cat Bailouts
> 
> 
> You have to admire the French. The ordinary people there know how to stick up
> for themselves – instead of meekly bowing down and accepting whatever bitter
> gruel the elite tries to cram down their throats. And they don't just write a
> few angry letters (or blog posts!), or send checks to some worthy progressive
> organization to organize a few mildly admonishing ads or press releases on
> their behalf. Hell no, they take to the streets, by the millions, they shut
> things down, they make some noise, they put their time, their jobs, and their
> bodies on the line.
> 
> Yesterday saw another remarkable display of this national trait, as an
> astonishingly broad spectrum of the French citizenry surged through the
> streets of Paris to express their outrage at the government's response to the
> economic crisis. This response has been the usual doling out of billions in
> public money for the fat cats who caused the crisis, coupled with increasing
> demands for "sacrifice" from the hoi polloi: less pay, longer hours, fewer 
> benefits, a bleaker life for you and your children while the elite party on.
> 
> But on Thursday, an estimated 2.5 million people – blue-collar workers and
> white-collar professionals, educators and students, doctors and train
> drivers, native-born and immigrants – came out to tell the government: "We
> are not going to pay for the greed and corruption of the elite! Find another
> way!" The contrast to the stunned, herd-like reaction of the American and
> British publics to their governments' gorging of corrupt oligarchs with
> no-strings largess could not be more striking...
> 
> Full article at <http://www.chris-floyd.com/>