Spokesman: Majority Of Russians Still Support Putin
Spokesman: Majority Of Russians Still Support Putin
Pro-Kremlin demonstrators rally on Manezh Square in Moscow on December 12.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin still has the support of the majority in Russia, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said after the biggest opposition protest yet against his domination of the country.
Peskov said that Russians should "treat the opinion of a majority with respect."
Meanwhile, Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, on December 24 urged Putin to follow his example and step down.
Speaking in an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station, Gorbachev said that if Putin heeded protesters' demands and stepped down now, he would be remembered for the positive things he did during his 12 years in power.
Gorbachev's remarks came after tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Moscow and other Russian cities on December 24 in the largest protest to date against alleged fraud in the December 4 parliamentary elections.
PHOTO GALLERY: The best Russian protest signs:
The Best Russian Protest Signs
1/12"4 + 9 = 49" is a reference to the 49 percent that Putin's United Russia party received in the elections, which protesters dispute.
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
2/12After the first round of protests, Putin had compared demonstrators' white ribbons to condoms.
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
3/12"Don't reuse a used tandem," a wordplay that touches on Putin's condom comparison.
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
4/12"Sacrificing freedom for the sake of security gives you neither"
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
5/12"You can fake election results, you can't fake freedom"
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
6/12
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
7/12"Where's my money from the [U.S.] State Department?" Putin had said that protesters took to the streets after comments made by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
8/12"Puck Futin"
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
9/12A reference to Russian prison tattoos, where criminals who receive a third term would receive a tattoo of Orthodox church domes. Putin is seeking a third term as president.
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
10/12"Swindlers and thieves, get out!"
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
11/12"I'm here for free"
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
12/12"No voice, no choice"
As Russians take to the streets in their thousands to protest what they allege were fraudulent election results, here are a selection of protest signs from December 24. (Photos by Yuri Timofeyev from RFE/RL's Russian Service, with Reuters.)
!["Where's my money from the [U.S.] State Department?" Putin had said that protesters took to the streets after comments made by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.](https://gdb.rferl.org/b6fb4332-6443-4f15-83c5-ad9a2583d39c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
