Kasparov detained in Russia (ahead of forbidden protest march)

[maddezmom]

Source: Associated Press

Kasparov detained in Russia 1 minute ago



MOSCOW - Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion, was detained by police Saturday as supporters of his organization tried to hold a forbidden protest march in central Moscow.

An Associated Press photographer saw Kasparov inside a police van, waving and smiling to journalists clustered outside on the edge of Pushkin Square.

Kasparov heads the United Civil Front opposition organization which aimed to hold a massive anti-Kremlin protest march on Saturday in alliance with other opposition groups who come together under the rubric of Other Russia.

Thousands of police, many of them in helmets and wielding nightsticks, were at the square and scores of people were detained. Many of those detained went quietly, but some struggled and were forced into police vehicles by officers.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070414/ap_on_re_eu/russia_protests

[bananas]

1. I didn't know he'd gotten into politics. nt

[Vidar]

Me neither. Kasparov imprisoned in Russia & Bobby Fisher exiled from the US--

have to watch out for chess champions, I guess.

[Vidar]

2. Me neither. Kasparov imprisoned in Russia & Bobby Fisher exiled from the US--

have to watch out for chess champions, I guess.

[Vidar]

3. Me neither. Kasparov imprisoned in Russia & Bobby Fisher exiled from the US--

have to watch out for chess champions, I guess.

[1932]

4. You should watch the doc Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine

He's very political in that movie.

It's not a great documentary, but it's a very interesting documentary. It's about Kasparov's match against IBM's computer and he says some very interesting things about how it was so important for IBM to win the game for marketing reasons and about the manipulations and cheating they did to win, and he ties it into a very interesting argument about politics and the marketplace.


http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Game_Over_Kasparov_and_the_Machine/70020940?trkid=189530&strkid=1417630847_0_0

[Igel]

7. In a big way.

He's liberal. But he's quite incautious as to his allies. It's not uncommon to see elderly with hammer-and-sickle banners at protests organized under his banner.

The Communists and the liberals may both be against Putin, but they are certainly *not* friends. Political expediency got lots of Old Believers and other religious minorities killed in the 1920s, and lots of liberals killed in the '30s.

[ohio2007]

5. Russia accuses U.S. of meddling, aiding radicals

WPo article from this thread
Certain people over there believe in holding on to absolute power

[Eugene]

6. Russia police arrest 170 anti-Kremlin protesters

Source: Reuters

Russia police arrest 170 anti-Kremlin protesters

By Robin Paxton and James Kilner
12 minutes ago

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police detained at least 170 people,
including chess champion Garry Kasparov, on Saturday as they snuffed
out an attempt by opponents of President Vladimir Putin to protest
near the Kremlin.

Activists had planned to gather at a city centre square about one km
(half a mile) from the Kremlin to protest at what they say is Putin's
trampling of democratic freedoms and demand a fair vote to choose a
new president in 2008.

Teams of riot police, acting on a ruling from the city authorities banning
the protest, pounced on protesters as they appeared in small groups
near the square and swiftly loaded them into buses, Reuters witnesses
said.

-snip-

Former chess grandmaster Kasparov, also an Other Russia leader, was
taken to court in central Moscow.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070414/wl_nm/russia_protest_dc

[frankieT]

8. Kasparov is a lunatic

He believes that the middle-age is a forgery.

[Doctor_J]

9. Forbidding protests? Arresting protestors?

Maybe Smirk and Pooty-poot ARE soul brothers.

[Eugene]

10. Kasparov Freed After Anti-Putin Rally

Source: Associated Press

Kasparov Freed After Anti-Putin Rally

Saturday April 14, 2007 9:01 PM

AP Photo MOSB139

By DOUGLAS BIRCH

Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW (AP) - Hundreds of demonstrators defied authorities Saturday
by trying to stage an anti-government rally banned from a landmark
downtown square, setting off sporadic clashes with police across
Moscow and bringing a wave of arrests.

A coalition of opposition groups organized the “Dissenters March” to
protest the economic and social policies of President Vladimir Putin
as well as a series of Kremlin actions that critics say has stripped
Russians of many political rights.

Thousands of police officers massed to keep the demonstrators off
Pushkin Square, beating some protesters and detaining many others,
including Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion who has
emerged as the most prominent leader of the opposition alliance.

Police said 170 people had been detained but a Kasparov aide, Marina
Litvinovich, said as many as 600 people were detained - although she
said about half were released quickly. Kasparov, whom witnesses said
was seized as he tried to lead a small group of demonstrators through
lines of police ringing Pushkin Square, was freed late Saturday after
he was fined $38 for participating in the rally.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6557929,00.html

[anotherdrew]

11. they're taking lessons from the US; this is the same shit we do in this country n/t

[clixtox]

12. Beating and Arresting Demonstrators and Worse...

is as American as apple pie and Chevrolet. Our patina of democratic ideals is quickly shredded when any concerted effort is made to speak the truth, to unmask the unjust power, exploitation and tyranny all around us.

It wasn't that long ago that protesters were being shot and killed at Kent State in Ohio and in Berkeley, CA near UCB.

Union activists risked assassination from capitalist goons and hit squads far into the twentieth century with the acquiescence of the government and the press/media.

The new capitalist Russkies have nothing on us when it comes to stifling dissent, we set the standard and maintain it even now. Perhaps we are slightly more subtle in our methods, we have better propaganda tools to keep people complacent and they have more adroit assassins, or maybe not...