The first such demonstration, two weeks ago, was unprecedented for Mr. Putin’s rule, and there were reasons Saturday’s turnout could have been lower — among them, winter holidays and the onset of bitter cold.
Instead, people poured all afternoon into a canyon created by vast government office buildings, and the police put the crowd at 29,000, more than they reported on Dec. 10. Organizers said it was closer to 120,000. Hours later, as the protesters dispersed, they chanted, slowly and rhythmically: “We will come again! We will come again!”
If the movement sustains its intensity, it could alter the course of presidential elections in March, when Mr. Putin plans to extend his stretch as the country’s dominant figure to an eventual 18 years. Opposition voters were furious over the conduct of this month’s parliamentary elections, and will be roused again by Mr. Putin’s campaigning. Still, maintaining momentum will prove a huge challenge, and the initial giddy mood has already hardened into something more serious.
NEXT (The New York Times)
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