There really needs to be an analysis of the integration of sectarian socialist groups into Stalinism & their convergence with fascism & Assadism. You can’t tell any of them apart these days. True to form for Stalinism, Assadism, & fascism, they are denouncing the protests of thousands in Moscow against government corruption & the Putin regime’s attempts to manipulate municipal elections by removing all opposition candidates.
One does not have to do a political anatomy or demographics of participants in those protests to support their right to protest. We don’t have to agree with the politics of all 30,000 protesters which are likely very disparate. We only have to stand with the right of people to publicly protest governmental policies they disagree with–even if we disagree with the politics of the protesters. We certainly agree with the democratic demand that elections be free of governmental interference. Or have the Assadists cum fascists already forgotten their own vituperations against charges of Russian interference in US elections?
It is reported that 1,400 people, nearly half the protesters that came out last Saturday, were arrested after being brutally assaulted by police. Echoing Putin authorities, Assadists cum fascists denounce the protests as “unauthorized”, led by Alexander Navaly (who is actually in jail), & justify the crackdown because the protest held up traffic on a main street in Moscow. Even if the protesters had applied for a permit, their right to protest would have been denied. But to Assadism cum fascism, political power makes right & popular protests are to be denounced. In which country have they ever supported popular movements against repression & dictatorship? Syria? Venezuela? Nicaragua? China? Sudan? Egypt? Bahrain? Russia? the US? the Philippines? Kashmir? Algeria? Tunisia?
Photo is from the protest in Moscow last Saturday where police are assaulting protesters demanding free & fair elections & ballot status for opposition candidates.
(Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)