MOSCOW, RUSSIA – MARCH 26, 2017: Police officers detain a man during an unauthorized anti-corruption rally in central Moscow.
Thousands of Russians demonstrated across the country on March 26 to protest governmental corruption, defying bans. The rallies were called by prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was arrested along with scores of others. Navalny called for the protests after publishing a detailed report this month accusing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of controlling a property empire through a shadowy network of non-profit organisations.
Navalny responded to his detention in a tweet:
“Today we are discussing (and condemning) corruption, not the detentions. Well, I was detained. So what. It OK. There are things in life that are worth being detained for.”
Conflicting reports from Russian human rights group OVD-Info and the state-run news agency Ria Novosti put the number of detained protesters between 500 and 700. There were estimated to be 8,000 people at the rally in Moscow.
“I’m against Putin, his corruption,” a protester said. Another added, “They can’t support our government, really. They steal our money using their power.” The young men claimed people of all ages were present to protest.
Similar protests took place in about a hundred cities throughout Russia two days ago. The primary target of their complaints was Putin who, regardless of these protests, continues to boast an 80-percent approval rating in state-run polling.
The Quiet World
BY JEFFREY MCDANIEL
In an effort to get people to look
into each other’s eyes more,
and also to appease the mutes,
the government has decided
to allot each person exactly one hundred
and sixty-seven words, per day.
When the phone rings, I put it to my ear
without saying hello. In the restaurant
I point at chicken noodle soup.
I am adjusting well to the new way.
Late at night, I call my long distance lover,
proudly say I only used fifty-nine today.
I saved the rest for you.
When she doesn’t respond,
I know she’s used up all her words,
so I slowly whisper I love you
thirty-two and a third times.
After that, we just sit on the line
and listen to each other breathe.
And today we celebrate...
