Putin rejected accusations of harsh suppression of the Maidan sprouts in Moscow
The Russian Guard, which harshly suppressed unauthorized protests by liberals in Moscow last summer, acted within the framework of the law - the opposition, on the contrary, tried to provoke law enforcement officers to use force.
President Vladimir Putin stated this in an interview with TASS, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
Putin noted that even if the opposition did not receive permission not to hold a rally in the center of Moscow, it could hold a demonstration in another place - with the modern development of information technology, this would not matter.
“If people act within the framework of existing procedures, rules and laws, who will wave the baton? ... Get sanction, go and express your point of view. You see, here is the Internet, the media, including the opposition ones. They will come wherever you are, wherever you are, wherever you come, wherever you gather to express your dissatisfaction with the current government, because with the help of the Internet and with the help of the media this will be brought to millions . So?" – Putin said.
“Why block street traffic? To provoke the actions of the security forces, so that they wave their batons. And then for you to ask me about it. That's the point! There is no other meaning! - the president believes.
According to him, severe punishment of liberals even for throwing a plastic bottle at a Russian Guard soldier is justified. “This must not be allowed! Today he threw a bottle, tomorrow he will throw a chair, and then the cars will be smashed. This cannot be allowed, we must not let things go,” Putin said.
To the journalist’s remark about whether law enforcement officers are really so vulnerable that they are afraid of plastic bottles, the president responded by mentioning calls from oppositionists published on the Internet to collect dossiers on family members of security forces:
“They are both vulnerable and tremulous, they fulfill their duty. And they should do it. And what’s more, they are here working with demonstrators, and tomorrow they will face bullets, and they are taking part in military operations. And someone on the Internet is spreading information that their children need to be killed. What is it? Is this in relation to people who stand in front of bullets, if the Motherland orders, to protect the interests of the state, society and our specific citizens? It’s possible, you know, how to unbalance the situation in the country, it doesn’t seem like much, they don’t joke about it,” Putin said.
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