Marches across Russia

Saturday was marching day in Russia, as over a quarter of a million took to the streets.  Some to protest against the government and its botched pension reforms, others to show their support.  I haven’t seen any indication of how the numbers break down in favor of Putin and against, but the largest single rally, along Tverskaya Ulitsa in the centre of Moscow, was pro-Putin.

There are some doubts, however, about just how committed the pro-Putin marchers actually were.  I found this particularly worrying:

But many of the young and middle-aged participants complained that the rally was not their idea of how to spend a Saturday morning and said they had been bussed in from the suburbs. Ekho Moskvy radio said municipal workers were promised bonuses and students awarded extra credit for showing up, while soldiers were just ordered to take part.

But I found this much more heartening:

Young members of the Young Yabloko party wearing orange scarves and bandannas also attended the rally. "The orange I’m wearing does not mean that I support the current Ukrainian leadership, but it is a symbol of freedom and democracy for me," said Alexei Leontyev, 22. "People achieved what they wanted in Ukraine, and I want the same for Russia."

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