TODAY: Opposition attack police rally response, journalist’s arm broken after beating; International Children’s Day St Petersburg protests; United Russia’s drive to protect young minds; Orthodox Church calls for strict abortion control. EU-Russia summit positive on modernization; Medvedev still pushing for visa freedom. Spies relaxing; Ukraine looking eastward or westward? Gerashchenko says Khodorkovsky charges unfounded; Beslan memorial; lauded poet Andrei Voznesensky dies
 
More details have emerged on the breaking up of Monday’s freedom to assemble rally: according to RFE/RL the arm of a reporter was broken in three places, and the Moscow Times notes that a World War Two veteran was manhandled.  Russian Human Rights Commissioner Vladimir Lukin, one of the founders of the opposition Yabloko Party, has described the authorities’ reaction in Moscow as ‘savage and inappropriate’ and has urged that an investigation begin.  If you wish to see the heated exchange between Vladimir Putin and Yuri Shevchuk (in Russian) look here.  International’s Children’s Day yesterday saw dozens of activists in St Petersburg from the Civil Committee for Human Rights hold a rally to defend children’s, and in particular orphan’s, rights.  Also in St Petersburg, supporters of Eduard Limonov held a rally to protest against educational fees, something they believe to be a possibility after the duma accepted a law which would allow schools to ‘engage in commercial activity’.  United Russia are allegedly using the protection of children as a way to censor media material and TV output.  The Russian Orthodox church has urged that tougher rules on abortion be put into place, which will help counterbalance Russia’s demographic deficit.