Russia takes a hard line at opposition rallies

Why has the Kremlin reacted to a "rally organised by a coalition of relatively small and heterogeneous opposition groups, discontented citizens and political dissenters" with a "massive force of heavily-armed riot police?" asks Reinhard Meier. "Without this kind of elaborate police operation, these demonstrations would get less coverage from both Russian and foreign media. But perhaps this kind of media attention is part of the Kremlin's strategy. It's aimed at showing Russian citizens that the stability of the country, which Putin is constantly boasting about, could be endangered by irresponsible forces. The message is that this is why it's so important to vote for the well-tried establishment in the upcoming elections."

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