The Kremlin has responded to yesterday’s mass protests by accusing the opposition of encouraging lawbreaking and provoking violence. A Presidential spokesman said, some young people were paid to attend. But defiant opposition leader Alexei Navalny, one of hundreds of people held, was fined 350 dollars and was not detained when he appeared in court today.
He repeated accusations of corruption against Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The allegations were the main reason for Sunday’s protests, which drew thousands of demonstrators nationwide, including in Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Tomsk and several other cities, as well as Moscow. At least 500 protesters were detained.