Stephen Lendman

Relatively small numbers turned out, a few thousand in Moscow, many fewer in most other Russian cities.

CBS News erroneously said “tens of thousands” protested Monday on Russian streets. Other media hype was similar.

Reuters headlined “Anti-Kremlin protesters fill Russian streets, Putin critic Navalny jailed.” More on him below.

The neocon/CIA-connected Washington Post published a photo, showing police restraining a youthful protester on the ground, a few comments alone discussing it, no article. CNN headlined “Russia’s anti-corruption protests explained” - explaining nothing, anti-Russian propaganda substituting for legitimate commentary.

The NYT Big Lie headlined “teenagers standing up to Putin,” ignoring his overwhelming popularity - 80% or more in opinion polls.

The Times: “In Russia, Soviet-style bureaucracy means that if you don’t get a green light from authorities before holding a protest, you risk arrest.”

Fact: False! Protests and other demonstrations are permitted as long as laws aren’t violated. The same holds in virtually all other countries.

The Times: Protesters “are fed up,” quoting pro-Western darling Alexey Navalny, saying “I want to live in a modern democratic state, and I want our taxes to be converted into roads, schools and hospitals, not into yachts, palaces and vineyards.”

He’s a phony anti-corruption activist, a convicted embezzler, a self-serving opportunist, a convenient US prop for bashing Russia - supported by the State Department’s National Endowment for Democracy to engage in disruptive activities.

He’s a political nobody with 2% or less popular support. With Western backing, he called for Jun 12 protests, a public holiday - Russia day, commemorating
Russia’s sovereign independence.

Navalny got a permit to rally on Moscow’s Sakharova Ave. - similar ones organized in other Russian cities. Most were peaceful and uneventful, attracting relatively small numbers - hundreds or at most a few thousand.

Things were different in Moscow. Navalny moved the demonstration to Tverskaya Street, an unauthorized area, tens of thousands participating in a separate event there - far outnumbering Navalny’s few thousand turnout.

His move was a “direct violation of the law,” Moscow police explained. He was arrested before he arrived, charged with promoting an unauthorized rally and disobeying police - detained for 30 days beginning Monday.

A court statement said he was guilty of “violat(ing) a public event of the established rules of organizing…a (street) meeting, rally or demonstration.”

Most of the few thousand participating were orderly, scores of others arrested for “breaching public order.”

Instead of accurate reporting about Monday protests, media scoundrels used them as a pretext to bash Russia irresponsibly.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

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