RUSSIA: Police beat anti-Putin protesters in St. Petersburg , Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov accuses Kremlin of contempt for democracy

Riot police wielding batons beat, kicked and chased anti-Kremlin protesters through the heart of St. Petersburg on Sunday (April 15), a day after Russian authorities snuffed out a similar rally in Moscow. Garry Kasparov, who was one of more than hundred protesters arrested on Saturday in Moscow, said the heavy-handed police force proved the illegality of Putin's regime. "The regime is no longer paying any attention to legalities. Yesterday in Moscow, today in St Petersburg, Russian constitution was suspended. I think it is quite an important discovery for many Russians and also for the foreigners, that now they could see the true colours of Putin's regime," Kasparov said. "The government reaction was quite harsh and people should recognise that further actions may end up with even more government's crackdown, but I have no doubt that the street protests will continue and the protest will rise, because people recognise there is no other way out." Kasparov, one of the leaders of the Other Russia opposition coalition and organiser of the marches said the violent crackdown would only increase the number of protesters. "We feel that people in great numbers now recognise that they have to do something and it is up to us to make all the difference and with this regime you can play all sorts of games and you will always be a loser. The only language is the language of force and solidarity," he said. In the last few months police tactics against opposition marches have been to forcefully clear them off the streets after a certain period of time, a plan which has often led to the mass detention of activists, drawing criticism from the West. Sunday's violence began when about 500 demonstrators calling for the resignation of President Vladimir Putin moved towards a metro station after an officially-permitted protest ended. Police wearing crash helmets and armed with full-length metal shields and rubber truncheons moved into the crowd, a mixture of people from students to old women. Police arrested some protesters and pushed others to the ground where they kicked and hit them with their batons. Some chased individuals through the streets. "Stop the beating," demonstrators shouted at the police. "Fascists. How much did Putin pay you?" The police herded about 150 protesters into police vans, and continued to hit some of them with batons inside. The city authorities had allowed the protesters to hold a meeting, but had banned the march. Opponents of Putin, acting under the umbrella organisation Other Russia, planned two rallies over the weekend. Authorities banned the main rally on Saturday in Moscow and detained several hundred protesters there, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov. Kasparov said the recent heavy-handed policing showed the authorities' contempt for democracy. Russian television news, which is state controlled, gave little attention to Sunday's protest and fighting. Other Russia brings together Kremlin opponents from across the political spectrum, from liberals to communists. They say Putin has trampled on democratic freedoms and they demand a free and fair presidential election in 2008.

ITN Source | April 16, 2007

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