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It's part Occupy Wall Street, part Hyde Park Corner, and entirelysomething new for Russia. The little encampment spontaneously created a week ago by a fewhundred mostly young activists in a downtown Moscow park, near theChistye Prudi metro station, has blossomed into a "democracypreserve" that features free lectures on civics by universityprofessors, unfettered outdoor debate, and an intimate look atRussia's growing rainbow of opposition forces, who appear to agreeonly on the demand that freshly inaugurated President VladimirPutin step down. So far the police have left it alone, though they beat and arrestedhundreds during protests against Mr. Putin's inauguration lastweek. Yesterday about 15,000 people, including top oppositionleaders, writers, and other celebrities, marched across centralMoscow to express solidarity with the campers. But is the appearance of a permanent opposition outpost in theheart of Moscow and the outpouring of social support it's attractedthe reason behind the apparently odd behavior of Putin, who wasinaugurated amid unprecedented social protests? Within days oftaking office, Putin announced he would not be attending the Groupof 8 summit later this week at Camp David, an unprecedented actionfor a Russian head of state and what looks like a direct snub ofPresident Obama. Putin explained that he is "too busy" establishing his newgovernment to attend the annual summit of G-8 leaders, and that hewill send former president and current Prime Minister DmitryMedvedev instead. That may be all there is to it. But the move hassparked an outpouring of discussion in Moscow because it'sunheard-of for a Kremlin leader to dodge an opportunity to sharethe big stage with his Western counterparts and enjoy an intimatet te- -t te on the sidelines with the president of the UnitedStates. Today the Moscow daily Kommersant reported that the Kremlinleader's first foreign trip will probably be to isolated,anti-Western Belarus, followed by a meeting of the CentralAsia-oriented Shanghai Cooperation Organization in China in earlyJune. Unprecedented defiance Some argue that Putin, mindful of a national history that has seentwo mighty Russian states collapse under the impact of socialdiscontent in the past century alone, has decided to play it safeand remain at home until it's clear where the current protestmovement may be leading. "Everyone underestimated the energy of popular protests," saysSergei Davidis, a leader of the opposition Solidarnost movment. "Alot of people thought it would all calm down [after theinauguration]; but that's not happening, and people are finding newways to express their civil position. Things like this camp are newfor Russia, and the authorities are flummoxed to find that crackingdown and arresting people doesn't stop it. People are saying theydon't want to wait another six years [till the end of Putin's term]to see changes." The appearance of this defiant little camp, and the wide socialresonance it's drawn, suggests that Russia's middle class,anti-Putin protest movement that began with a few huge ralliesagainst electoral fraud in December is rapidly shape-shifting andbecoming a permanent fixture on Russia's political landscape. Butthe numbers of people involved are still relatively few, and themood is more festive than revolutionary. "Here there's no difference between left and right. Everyone livestogether in tents and gets along because they all stand forhonesty," says Olga Romanova, a journalist who's become a leadingopposition figure and a regular denizen of the Chistye Prudiencampment. "Even if this camp is swept away as it will surelybe we'll go to new places and find new ways to expressourselves "This is no longer a protest movement of the middle class, butincreasingly of angry citizens of the lower middle class as well,"she says. "The moods are growing more serious, and tending more tothe left. I think we're going to see a huge outpouring of protestwhen the next big rally is held on June 12.". I am an expert from constant-current-leddriver.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Triac Dimmer Led Driver , Led Driver Connector Manufacturer, Constant Current Led Driver,and more.
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