JRL NEWSWATCH: “In Russia’s Far East, a New Face of Resistance to Putin’s Reign” – New York Times/ Anton Troianovski

Far Eastern Russia and Environs, with Khabarovsk Pinpointed, adapted from image at cdc.gov

“As the protests swell in the city of Khabarovsk, 4,000 miles from Moscow, residents who had never before found a public outlet for anger are becoming activists.”

“… [P]rotests in Khabarovsk reached well into the tens of thousands … establishing this distant city – some 4,000 miles from Moscow – as the site of the biggest popular challenge to … Putin’s authority that … Russia’s far-flung regions ha[ve] produced in his 20 years in power. The protests have no leader and few concrete demands[] [b]ut … have … turn[ed] apolitical residents into activists overnight and show[n] how quickly … embers of discontent over corruption, poverty and the stranglehold of … Putin’s rule can ignite a conflagration. … The crowds … have grown for three consecutive Saturdays, with some estimates putting last weekend’s … at more than 50,000 – a spurt of spontaneous political activism … rare in Russia. …”

Click here for: “In Russia’s Far East, a New Face of Resistance to Putin’s Reign; As the protests swell in the city of Khabarovsk, 4,000 miles from Moscow, residents who had never before found a public outlet for anger are becoming activists.” – New York Times/ Anton Troianovski


Comment