Russian police have detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny

[tfcrew]

Russian police have detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny at a rally in central Moscow, a Reuters witness reports.      last updated: Mar 26 /2017According to a reporter for the news agency, the activist was seen being bundled into a police truck in the capital’s Tverskaya Street. Hundreds of demonstrators are said to have surrounded the van in an effort to prevent his arrest.

http://www.euronews.com/2017/03/26/russian-police-detain-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-at-a-rally-in-central-moscow-reuters-witness

[msmob]

Indeed, it is interesting to compare the news :

Anti-corruption protests across Russia

Many of the marches were illegal because the authorities didn't sanction marches in city centres.

Marchers waved Russian flags and many carried rubber ducks - to symbolise the suggestion public officials have used inappropriately obtained funds to build houses for ducks

I don't remember the UK govt. seeking to stop marches re our members of Parliament and their expenses scandals

Kremlin controlled / owned media  focused on Police being attacked

http://www.rt.com/news/382342-opposition-protest-russia-police/


Outside Russia... the numbers arrested were nearly double and videos showed Police violently removing placards ( showing Putin 666) from an old man who was stood on the plinth of a statue and 'escorting him away ....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39398305

[msmob]

This is the video that ensured so many went out on the streets

It is in Russian with Eng subtitles :

One might guess why the 'anti-corruption foundation's' Alexei Navalny is a target for 'criminal charges' to ensure he can't stand for Presidency


http://en.censor.net.ua/photo_news/430379/palaces_yachts_vineyards_of_russian_pm_navalny_issues_report_on_medvedevs_secret_empire_photosvideo

[Bounder]

In some cases, such as Moscow, the locations of protests weren't sanctioned and therefore in violation of the law.  They were proposed alternative locations for a sanctioned protest but refused.  So, they knew what would happen.  Now, RT is reporting that participants had been misled that the protest location had been sanctioned, which is why they participated.

[msmob]

I 'see' - so if they had known they wouldn't have protested because thy were scared - couldn't afford the fine  -rather than thinking the cause was worth it ?

[BillyB]

Russian police have detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Look on the bright side. The guy didn't accidently run into a bullet, ingest radioactive poisons, or fall out of a 7th story window.

[msmob]

I read this conclusion elsewhere

''The strategy seems to have been to suppress news during the protest, to avoid encouraging others from joining in, and then blacken the participants after the fact."

Suggested in Kremlin controlled / owned media that "underage protesters were offered money to attend and get arrested ... "

[tfcrew]

Suggested in Kremlin controlled / owned media that "underage protesters were offered money to attend and get arrested ... "

 

Sounds a bit vaguely like the George Soros crowd