Posted on Jul 25, 2020
Khabarovsk: Anti-Putin protests continue into a third weekend
For the third weekend in a row thousands are marching in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk, protesting at President Vladimir Putin’s handling of a regional political crisis and the levelling of spurious criminal charges at popular opposition Regional Governor Sergei Furgal, detained in Moscow since July 9th.
His detention, which his supporters say was politically motivated, has triggered more the street protests, creating an unexpected and unwelcome headache for the Kremlin. They believe Furgal is being punished for defeating a candidate from the ruling pro-Putin United Russia party in 2018.
Footage of the protest showed people chanting “Disgrace!” and demanding Putin's resignation.
- Khabarovsk takes to the streets to protest arrest of opposition governor Sergei Furgal
- Russian governor arrested on multiple murder charges
City authorities estimated around 6,500 people had taken part. Local media put the number at up to 20,000 people.
In an apparent move to defuse tensions, Putin last week named a new acting governor, Mikhail Degtyaryov, to head the region. This move fell flat, and protestors have also called on him to step down.
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