Interfax: Putin says calling for overthrow of Russia’s system of government “extremism”

(Interfax – Moscow, November 20, 2014) Calls to overthrow the existing system [of government in Russia] are a manifestation of extremism and anti-popular thinking, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

“In standing up for freedom of elections, assembly, marches, rallies, you should not forget responsibility for your words and actions. You must know and understand that stirring up conflict between people of different ethnic groups and faiths, promoting nationalist ideology, mass violations of public order on these grounds, calls for the violent overthrow of the existing system [of government] – this is a direct manifestation of anti-popular thinking, a direct manifestation of extremism,” Putin said on Thursday [20 November] at a session of the [Russian] Security Council, which was considering the state concept for countering extremism.

No-one, including the leaders of public movements, should forget the destructive consequences of such extremist manifestations, Putin said.

“They should know that they will have to answer for such actions to the maximum extent of the law,” he said.