RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – March 22, 2010
TODAY: Protests over the weekend disappoint opposition despite large numbers; Kaliningrad sees 5,000-strong crowd brandish tangerines; United Russia to grant amnesty to 300,000, Gryzlov foresees tandem rule; new opposition to Sochi as workers’ arrears start to be paid. China, Guatemala.
A reported 20,000 protesters across the country denounced government policies and called for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to resign at various rallies over the weekend, dubbed the ‘Day of Wrath‘ by opposition movements. Kaliningrad’s 5,000 protesters waved tangerines instead of posters in a bid to avoid arrest, says the Moscow Times, although the fruit was also said to reference the ‘heavily tanned, small and rotund local governor Georgy Boos‘. Boos, in turn, took a swipe at the protesters for being uncultured. ‘The leadership is scared,‘ said one independent Duma deputy. The protests were apparently a ‘disappointment for the opposition‘, who were expecting Kaliningrad-sized opposition groups all over the country, although Vladivostok drew at least 1,500. The Other Russia and RFE/RL report that numbers were down due to the preventative efforts of regional government authorities.