Protesters defy troops on Moscow streets

Over 1,000 demonstrators on the 6 December 2011 gathered for a second evening of protests over flawed parliamentary elections on the 4 December 2011 defying a show of force by the Kremlin, which had deployed thousands of troops and army trucks onto Moscow’s main streets.

The protesters attempted to stage an unsanctioned rally at Triumphalnaya Square off Moscow’s main thoroughfare, but were vastly outnumbered by police, soldiers and pro-Kremlin supporters. Scores were manhandled and shoved into police vans. They included Boris Nemtsov, an opposition leader and former deputy prime minister.

On the 8 December 2011 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States of being behind the protests over the results of Russia's parliamentary elections.

ESO: Background information: Features on the results of the election http://www.europeansources.info/record/russian-electors-deliver-blow-to-putins-party/

BBC News, 6.12.11: Russia election: Protesters defy rally ban in Moscow http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16052329

RIA Novosti, 6.12.11: Moscow sees second night of poll protests http://en.rian.ru/russia/20111206/169421308.html

EurActiv, 8.12.11: Gorbachev calls for a re-run of 'unfair' elections http://www.euractiv.com/europes-east/gorbachev-calls-run-unfair-elections-news-509544

France24, 7.12.11: Protests in Russia: ‘I haven’t seen this since the 90s’ http://observers.france24.com/content/20111207-russia-protests-continue-moscow-putin-government-election-fraud

France24, 7.12.11: Gorbachev calls for Russian elections to be re-run http://www.france24.com/en/20111207-gorbachev-russia-legislative-elections-putin-fraud

BBC News, 8.12.11: Russia PM Vladimir Putin accuses US over poll protests http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16084743

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