Massive protest demonstrations continue in Russia, and Vladimir Putin should consider contacting the leaders, as two thirds of Russians believe. Kremlin’s opinion and view on this matter finds understanding in the hearts of too few people, with the majority awaiting the «tightening of loose screws» and expressing open disbelief in the government’s readiness to sit down and talk with the people.

According to the public opinion poll, only 14% of Russian citizens are expecting the end of all the protests, 6% more predict the quelling of any protest events with force. Two thirds of Russia’s population (65%) is convinced that protests are continuing, as mentioned in the research carried out by Levada-center.

As it turned out, 12% of respondents are expecting an increase of protests with the government remaining inactive in this regard, 28% are sure that protests will only shake Moscow, and 25% predict a smoldering protest, gradually decreasing and becoming increasingly dependent on the situation in the country.

Massive protest demonstration began in Moscow one day after the December State Duma Elections, which were deemed by both the opposition and foreign supervisors to be unfair. The wave of protests did not subside even until the March Presidential elections, Putin’s return to the Kremlin for his third Presidential term, and then increased in force one day before his inauguration on May 6. Demonstrations finally ended with clashing with the Police and the subsequent quelling of the entire demonstration. OMON teams spent two days clearing the streets of Moscow from any conflicting elements, and the leaders of the protest demonstration Alexey Navalny and Sergey Udaltsov were kept under arrest for 15 days, Reuters reminds.

According to the data from the poll, 15% of Russians share Kremlin’s certainty that the attempts of the protestors to try to destabilize the situation in Russia will only benefit its enemies, 12% more agree with the popular propaganda thesis – protestors (putting it mildly) «are just frustrated».

Putin derogatory and nonchalantly expressed his opinion on the large scale demonstrations: compared their protest symbol – white ribbon – with a condom. He also left to play hockey both on the day of the demonstration on the Bolotnaya Square and on the day when OMON forces were carrying out «cleaning» operations in the capital.

The government responded to the massive demonstrations with enormous fines for participants of any large scale demonstrations, events or presentations. Despite the complaints of the opposition and human rights activists, the law approved by Kremlin controlled State Duma is supported by only 17% of Russian citizens.

Ref: 104.109.109.2018