People carry portraits of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was gunned down on Friday, near the Kremlin, with words reading ‘ he died for the future of Russia!’ in Moscow
Russia’s opposition gathered in Moscow for march that will be a test of its support two days after a key leader was gunned down near the Kremlin.
Protesters began assembling yesterday afternoon for a vigil honoring Boris Nemtsov that will run through the city center and end at the bridge near St. Basil’s Cathedral where the 55-year-old critic of President Vladimir Putin was slain Friday.
Organizers distributed posters with Nemtsov’s picture and carried signs with slogans that read “he was fighting for a free Russia” and “those shots were in each of us.” The former deputy prime minister, who played a prominent role after the Soviet collapse before falling out of favor, had been helping plan an anti-Putin rally for yesterday.
“I’m here because Boris Nemtsov was fighting against corruption and probably some people from the top didn’t like his speeches,” said Valeriy Tsaturov, a 63-year-old entrepreneur from the Moscow region who was wearing a black coat with the word “corruption” on it. “It’s a big shame for Russia that it happened at Red Square to a person who was very competent and could have done a lot of good.”
Nemtsov’s killing potentially further weakens the president’s foes who have struggled to gain traction as the government has taken control of independent media and Putin has enjoyed near-record approval ratings following his annexation of the Crimean Peninsula last year from Ukraine.
Two opponents who helped organize the original rally won’t even be allowed to attend the vigil. Alexey Navalny is serving a 15-day sentence for handing out leaflets at a metro station, while former Yukos Oil Co. chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky is outside the country in exile after being freed from prison.
Putin’s critics nonetheless are betting that an unfolding economic crisis will spark a spring revolt on a scale last seen during the winter protests of 2011-2012, the largest since the collapse of communism 20 years earlier. Buckling from international sanctions over Ukraine and a collapse in oil prices last year, the economy of the world’s biggest energy exporter is on the brink of a recession.
Yesterday, mourners poured into the city center buying flowers and carrying handmade signs that read “I am Boris” as scores of police kept watch over the gathering protest.
“This march is important for the country,” said Sergey Kleschevnikov, a 59-year-old road worker. “People see that something is wrong in Russia.” Olga Tanas, Bloomberg
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