Moscow: Police in Russia's two largest cities
have arrested scores of demonstrators in a third straight night of protests against the ruling party and alleged election fraud.
The demonstrations in Moscow and St Petersburg appeared to
attract fewer protesters than in previous days, roughly 300 in each city, but Russians' willingness to risk jail time and clashes with police indicates significant anger.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party lost a
significant share of its seats in Sunday's parliamentary
election but will still have a majority.
Opponents say even that was achieved by widespread vote fraud.
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has urged Russian
authorities to annul the results of Sunday's vote and hold a
new one. He says "ignoring public opinion discredits the
authorities and destabilizes the situation."
PTI
First Published: Thursday, December 08, 2011, 09:42