Russian parliamentary election results have left opposition supporters in an anger. Moscow filled with crowds of up to 10,000 take to the streets; over 300 have been arrested, reports RIA Novosti news agency. Police have counted 2,000 demonstrators, but unofficial estimates say up to 10,000 people made their way to Chistye Prudy Park to attend a meeting staged by the opposition movement "Solidarnost" (Solidarity). "Shame!" chanted the crowd. The demonstrators claimed the United Russia party had rigged the voting results. Meanwhile, as the Central Election Commission has almost done its counting, United Russia is coming in with almost 50 per cent of the vote. Police had already cordoned the area off for a meeting, which only 700 people had been authorized to join. As the stream of people increased, the designated area overflowed and the crowds spilled into a neighboring area. When they started to block the traffic, police began arresting protesters.
Save Dissent to Save Democracy THE rising instances of physical violence and threats against political opponents and the inability to accept dissent must raise huge concerns amongst all of us who see democracy as perhaps the really stellar achievement since Independence. AAP’s attack on BJP headquarters and acts of arson committed under the very noses of their elite leadership; the attacks on Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in Gujarat in the last two days; the recent manhandling of the caretaker of journalist Siddharth Varadarajan’s house by some garden variety thugs; and the violence and threats meted out regularly to their political opponents by political parties is surely deplorable and condemnable. This is a fatally flawed trend which will destroy the very foundations of our democratic institutions if not pushed back with all the strength and condemnation that the civil society can mobilise. Replaying the past To begin with, it must be clarified that we should ...
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