More than 20,000 people attended the first "march against the villains" on sunday in downtown moscow alone, independent observers estimated. In st. Petersburg and many other cities, opponents of the government shouted "shame on the scoundrels"!"Russia without putin!"And "freedom for political prisoners!".
This first anti-government action of the year was directed against putin’s most recently signed ban on the adoption of russian children by u.S. Citizens. Prominent opposition politicians such as sergei udalzov, boris nemtsov and gennady gudkov, in addition to the many burghers, called on the kremlin to continue to allow adoptions, especially to give the many disabled among the orphans a decent future.
Putin’s spokesman dmitry peskov told the interfax agency that the president was informed about the protests. In addition, the initiators demanded the dissolution of the state duma, followed by new elections. "This is technically possible. Putin can easily find a pretext and call early elections," gudkov said. In light snowfall, hundreds of people carried placards with portraits of the duma deputies who passed the anti-U.S. Law in december.
