JRL NEWSWATCH: “Moscow sees biggest protest rally since 2011 as Kremlin’s brutal police tactics backfire” – bne Intellinews/ Ben Aris

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“An estimated 60,000 people turned out for the fourth in a series of weekend protests in central Moscow on August 10, a number too large for the Kremlin to ignore that also suggests that the tactic of increased police brutality at recent protests to put off would-be protestors has backfired. … the largest [demonstration] since … 2011-2012 rallies … [after] Duma elections where the results were fixed to give the ruling United Russia party a narrow majority. … the high turnout was despite the terrible weather, summer holiday season that empties Moscow of students and a lot of regular citizens who go to the dacha, on top of the threat of police brutality. The nature of the protests has changed. Previously the crowds were chanting ‘Let them in’ in reference to … opposition leaders … excluded from … upcoming Moscow City Council elections …. But at this latest rally the chants have changed to ‘Let them out’ in reference to … people … arrested and charged with provoking ‘mass social unrest’ … fac[ing] long prison sentences if convicted. Other protestors carried signs saying “I have a choice.” …’

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