Rally Gathers 1 Million Public Workers, Students (Moscow)

By Francesca Mereu

Staff Writer

MOSCOW — More than 1 million teachers, doctors and other state-paid workers took to the streets nationwide Wednesday to demand significantly higher salaries, and one nurse said she wished a government official would be admitted to her hospital to see firsthand the care afforded to patients.

Some 2,500 protesters gathered on Gorbaty Bridge near the White House at about 4 p.m., many waving the flags of trade unions, which organized the national rally. Hundreds of armed police officers with dogs kept a close watch on the gathering, and protesters had to go through metal detectors to reach the site of the rally.

“I would like someone from the government to stay in our hospital for just one day to see how people are treated,” said Irina, a nurse who gave only her first name and would say only that she worked in a hospital outside Moscow. “But they usually stay in private clinics and don’t see what we see every day.”

She said she earned 1,600 rubles ($56) per month. <snip>

http://www.times.spb.ru/story/15808

of protesters. Has the U.S. press ever done that?

Nor the history of St. Petersburg (Petrograd/Leningrad) as the starting-place of revolutions. For posting this, spasebo.