DISSENTERS' DAY PROTESTS LEAD TO ARRESTS IN MOSCOW

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 003636

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM RS
SUBJECT: DISSENTERS' DAY PROTESTS LEAD TO ARRESTS IN MOSCOW

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor
Alice G. Wells for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Police arrested more than 150 people across
Moscow on December 14 in separate Dissenters' Day protests,
with an additional 60 protesters arrested in St. Petersburg.
In the largest Moscow protest, organized by Garry Kasparov
and Eduard Limonov, police detained approximately 100 Other
Russia protesters and at least two journalists. One
protester reportedly was beaten severely by police. Police
shut down other protests across Moscow, including one staged
by the Union of Soviet Officers. Russian television news did
not cover any of the protests, helping to ensure that this
Dissenters' Day will soon be forgotten by most Russians as
quickly as past ones have been. President Medvedev has
failed an early test in establishing a more tolerant policy
on dissent, with fears of economic-motivated protests
generating a thuggish response. We will continue to raise
our concerns with GOR officials. End Summary.

Mass Arrests Smother Protest Led By Kasparov and Limonov
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2. (SBU) On the December 14 anniversary of the 1825
Decembrist uprising, Moscow police detained more than 100
protesters from the Other Russia opposition coalition as they
attempted to march on Triumphal Square in downtown Moscow.
Most participants reportedly were members of Garry Kasparov's
United Civil Front (OGF) and Eduard Limonov's banned National
Bolshevik Party; while Limonov has not been welcomed into the
new opposition Solidarity grouping, Kasparov continues to
rely on the radical National Bolshevik leader to generate
youthful protesters unafraid of arrest or a bruising
encounter with security forces. The city government had
denied Other Russia's application to march from the square to
Tverskaya Street, offering instead a much less visible
location in a park near the White House. Kasparov and
Limonov pressed on with plans for the original location.


3. (SBU) Riot police had cordoned off Triumphal Square with
vehicles and barriers well before 2 p.m., the planned start
time for a protest that Kasparov and Limonov had hoped would
attract 2,000 protesters. Any protesters attempting to
access the square, however, were detained. Nezavisimaya
Gazeta reported that Limonov arrived with an entourage of
bodyguards, but was promptly recognized and arrested as he
approached the square. Kasparov was not at the scene and
therefore not arrested. Around 3 p.m., with no more
protesters on the square, police detained at least two
journalists, one from grani.ru.


4. (SBU) The article of Russian law under which arrests were
made allowed for either a fine or a few days of arrest. It
is unknown whether any of the detainees are still in custody
or if they all paid the fine to be released. Police reported
that they arrested approximately 90 people on Triumphal
Square, but media reported numbers between 100-120.
According to Ekho Moskvy, OGF member Suren Edigarov received
a severe concussion from blows delivered by police.

Pro-Kremlin Counter-Protesters Detained After Heckling
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5. (SBU) The pro-Kremlin Molodaya Rossiya (Young Russia)
group held a counter-protest on the square, distributing
flyers from the roof of an adjacent building and hectoring
the protesters below through a megaphone. According to
Kommersant, State Duma Deputy Maksim Mishchenko led the Young
Russia protesters and railed against opposition "politicians
who serve America." Police detained Mishchenko but later
released him.

Additional December 14 Protests
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6. (SBU) Other protests and arrests occurred across the
capital:

-- On Pushkin Square, the Union of Soviet Officers staged a
separate protest. According to media reports, police
detained approximately 50 protesters, including Admiral
Vladimir Berezin and General Aleksey Fomin, the group's
leader.

-- At Paveletskaya train station, Anti-War Action Committee
leader Mikhail Krieger marshaled approximately 150
protesters, chanting "We need another Russia!" Press
reported these protesters dispersed before any arrests were
made.

-- At 5:30 p.m., approximately 30 Other Russia protesters
marched to the Kremlin, where police detained 18 of them.
-- At Prospekt Mira metro station, three members of the
Oborona movement were detained, along with three bystanders.

Comment
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7. (C) Unsurprisingly, Russian television news did not cover
any of the protests, helping to ensure that this Dissenters'
Day will soon be forgotten by most Russians as quickly as
past ones have been. However, for liberals hopeful of a more
accommodating policy towards public dissent, Medvedev has
failed an early test of distinguishing himself from Putin's
unapologetic crackdowns. With the GOR palpably nervous over
the prospect of economic crisis-induced social unrest, the
instinctive response to muzzle all dissent -- no matter how
isolated -- remains. We will note our strong concern over
GOR actions, including in a meeting with Human Rights
Ombudsman Lukin this week.
BEYRLE