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WORLD NEWS Saturday 15 September 2018

Young Russians taking the lead in anti-Putin protests

By NATALIYA VASILYEVA Viktor, a 16-year old high
Associated Press school student who asked
MOSCOW (AP) — When his last name not to be pub-
almost all the protesters at lished for fear of trouble in
recent anti-government school, said he started go-
rallies across Russia went ing to rallies last year. He
home, teenagers and believed the protest crowd
young adults were the only is ready to go one step fur-
ones left on the streets. ther.
"In my circle, more and "I can feel this transforma-
more people are get- tion of the youth, of the
ting protest-minded," said minds. Before that the ral-
20-year-old theater stu- lies were like you shout all
dent Andrei Zabara, one you want and then every-
of about two dozen youths one leaves," he said. "Now
who ended up staying people are staying, orga-
camped on the streets of nizing round-the-clock ral-
Moscow on Sunday. "My lies, marching on to the
parents are supporting the Kremlin."
protest. The girl who was At the demonstration on
streaming it on Instagram Sunday, several dozen pro-
last night — her mom was testers charged at barriers
helping, she brought us across the road from the
food. But as far as the rallies In this Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018 file photo, protesters hold posters that read: "Goodbye", top, and "No Kremlin and clashed with
go, (the parents) are afraid Way", during a rally in Moscow, Russia. riot police. The rally fizzled
to come out." Associated Press out after some of them
Many born during President were beaten up by police
Vladimir Putin's 18-year- an unfair and archaic po- (of coming out)... but they More than 1,000 people and detained. In the end,
long rule, young Russians litical system. But the vio- share the same values." were arrested at protest some 20 protesters decid-
like Zabara have long lent crackdown on a rally Zabara says his parents are rallies across Russia last Sun- ed to camp out at the pro-
been considered one of his in May 2012 and ensuing supportive of his activism day. test venue and spend the
most loyal constituents. But criminal persecutions of but are too afraid to join The most recent wave of night there. In the morning,
increasingly, the govern- a dozen protesters have him on the streets, fearing anti-government protests police officers showed up
ment's anti-Western agen- scared off the 40-year-olds. repercussions for their jobs. erupted in spring 2017 at what looked like an im-
da and reports of wide- In the meantime, their teen- Some teenagers attended when opposition leader provised picnic, and asked
spread corruption are turn- age children have taken the protest with their par- Alexei Navalny released a the young people to go
ing young Russians against the lead. With Russia's rigid ents. YouTube expose of Prime to the police station with
the leader. political system offering no Yevgeny Roizman, who Minister Dmitry Medvedev's them.
In the decade following other outlet for discontent, served as mayor of Russia's alleged wealth. The video Four days later, a dozen
the collapse of the Soviet young people have turned fourth-largest city Yekater- got more than 27 million young protesters were still
Union, street protests were to unsanctioned street pro- inburg and is considered views, and Navalny's foray roaming the streets of Mos-
led by 50- and 60-year-olds, tests, ignoring official bans one of the most popular into social media and You- cow.
disenchanted by the free- and unafraid of police bru- opposition leaders in the Tube blogging brought to Talking about the protest's
wheeling capitalism while tality. regions, said he found the streets a younger, more turn to violence is fraught
their children were busy "Young people are taking Sunday's protest crowd in determined and angrier with consequences in Rus-
reinventing themselves in to the streets on behalf of Yekaterinburg substantially generation. sia, as law enforcement
a new market economy. their parents, not against younger than he expected. Emboldened by support agencies have been us-
In 2011, when Putin an- them," said Moscow-based "Young people are coming from the youth, Navalny ing new draconian laws
nounced his return to the political analyst Ekaterina out for us and taking the has been gathering sup- to bring criminal charges
presidency, it was the bud- Schulmann. "Those kids hit," he said in a video blog porters in central locations against opposition-mind-
ding middle-aged middle enjoy the support of their earlier this week, adding in Moscow and other cit- ed youth for something as
class that took to the streets parents who may be wary that older people should ies, often resulting in run-ins minor as a blog post or a
to protest what they saw as of the risks, may be afraid "feel ashamed." with the police. tweet.q