MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian police detained about 60 protesters during an anti-government demonstration yesterday in Moscow, hours after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin offered a conciliatory message to the opposition in a televised New Year’s Eve address.
Reuters witnesses said they saw police surround and detain protesters who were shouting slogans such as “Putin Must Go!” and “Free the Political Prisoners!”.
Police said about 200 people took part in the rally, with 60 detained. Gathering in near-freezing temperatures at a major thoroughfare in the capital, many protesters wore the white ribbon that has become a symbol of the protests.
Putin has faced massive demonstrations following a Dec. 4 parliamentary election that protesters and international observers said was marked by fraud and violations. Despite the mounting pressure, Putin is expected to comfortably win a presidential election in March and return to the Kremlin.
“Of course, I want to wish all of our citizens, independent of their political leanings – those who sympathise with the forces of the left, and those on the right, those on top and those below, as you like – I want to wish everyone happiness and prosperity,” he said in his address.
