The Kremlin on Tuesday "justified" the firmness of the police during protests that have shaken Moscow for a month to call for free elections, marked by many arrests, refuting any "political crisis" in Russia.
Moscow refutes any "political crisis"
"We do not agree with those who describe what is going on in the political crisis," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, reacting for the first time to this massive protest movement. unpublished since the return of Vladimir Putin to the presidency in 2012. "We consider completely justified the firmness of the police to put an end to public disorder," he said.
>> READ ALSO - Events in Russia: "This is the obvious sign of the weakness of the regime"
Since mid-July, thousands of people have been meeting every weekend at the opposition's call in central Moscow to protest against the rejection of opposition candidates in the September local elections. Hundreds of protesters, including the number one opponent of the Kremlin Alexei Navalny, were arrested, sometimes harshly, during the protests, some of which were not allowed. The last and most important gathering organized to demand free elections gathered Sunday in Moscow up to 60,000 people.