Kasparov seized by Russian police

Source: BBC

Russian police have detained opposition leader and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov.

He and other critics of President Vladimir Putin were arrested as police broke up a rally in Moscow organised by Mr Kasparov's Other Russia coalition.

Police moved in when protesters tried to march to the election commission, which had barred Other Russia candidates from next week's election.

President Putin's supporters are widely expected to win the 2 December poll.

Other Russia brings together a broad coalition of mainstream politicians, leftists and nationalists, all of whom are opposed to the Kremlin.
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Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7110910.stm

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I believe he predicted his arrest during his interview on Real Time w/ Bill Maher...

He just put the "thinking mans" canidate in 'check'

it's done like this - :sarcasm:

Seized in the same sense that anyone is arreested. Like Cindy Sheehan about a dozen times.

really.

Kasparov was on Colbert and he said "You know how third party candidates in this country have trouble getting onto the ballot and have so much trouble running in the election? That's how it is for second party candidates in Russia."

and many of those running in the 'second' party are just as bad as those in the other, IMO.

Kasparov is a marginal figure politically. The Communists are the second most popular political force, and form the quantitative core of opposition to Putin. They do run and do win in elections, heading some regional governments and winning mayoral races like in Volgograd. I think Putin is clearly trying to play all advantages of incumbency, but I think it's far closer to Bush's style of politics, while still somewhat within "democratic norms."

if you're not concerned about that, you're not paying attention.

is shown on internet forums like this.

Check out LiveJournal, the russian segment of it is gaining momentum.

FLOL!

This is the leading pro-Democracy activist in Russia today and you're giggling over his capture?

You sound like freepers.

It's observed that this arrest indicates it's hard to tell Russia from the U.S. I'm here at DU every day, often posting news of the Bush administration's extra-Constitutional power grabs (including stolen elections), but until I see the leaders of our opposition (Howard Dean? Clinton, Obama and Edwards?) arrested, I will post or recommend news like this. My mother told me two wrongs don't make a right, and I believe her.

I don't understand your point. Kasparov is a marginal political figure trying to get ballot access. Leaders of third parties trying to get ballot access have certainly been arrested during unsanctioned protests.

The bottom line is that most Russians associate Kasparov with the people who destroyed Russia during the 90's. Few want to go back to a time that is associated with national downfall and humiliation. That may be unfair, but it's a political fact.

to engage in an informed discussion (I've visited Russia, but was reluctant to talk about politics). I do know, however, that, as a democrat, I am saddened by the direction Putin is taking the country. I did understand while I was there that people seem enthralled with Putin, and if he, and the system he is instituting, are their choice, so be it.

It's obvious, however, that there is at least a minority who would prefer to keep some of the rights we associate with a democratic system, and I regret their repression in Russia or anywhere else in the world. If Kasparov is not an Opposition politican who can be equated with Dean, or our Democratic Presidential candidates, I admit I am mistaken.

The main thought behind my post, however, was much broader, and stems from my frustration posting my own posts about something I see as a repressive act in a country other than my own -- and seeing so many responses that seem to me, as I wrote, to give a pass to repression anywhere in the world except here in the U.S.

Um, no. Kasporov is a leading human rights advocate and known the world over. This is not some random protester arrested. This is a world known figure arrested for nothing more than demanding the right to fair elections.

He is a prominent member of a US militant think-tank and an editor to Wall Street Journal with a lot of publications containing politically motivated bias towards Russia.

Do you think the Russians don't know that? Do you think they don't know whose interests he is going to back? Definetely not Russia's.
The fact that his party barely made it over 1% in the Russian Parliamentary elections speaks volumes about his "popularity" in Russia. Maybe he should get elected somewhere else?
He was a good chess player, he sucks as a person and politician.

Some people here seem to have just came out of some Nashi summer camp.

He raised some legitmate points and you accuse him of being a KGB stooge.

Are you bought and paid for by opposition groups?

:eyes:

It was a funny comment about a terrible incident.. Furthermore, I do not give a rats ass about the Democracy of Russia at this time in US history.. We have enough problems here.. And enough of the accusations!

Now come back and tell me that "No 53 post noob is going to tell you to lighten up" Come on I am waiting!

I think it's hilarious when people of principle and courage get one-upped by fascist regimes, get stripped of their rights and thrown into a police cell where they can never bother anyone again. Especially when it's a chess champion who should be invulnerable because of his superior tactical intellect. FLOL!!!

Besides, it's happening somewhere else, so why should I worry? When police thugs start beating down *my* door, I'll stop making jokes about it and start making plans.

You're absolutely right Fool, it's much more comfortable just to be glib about it.

but thanks for being so caring... And, BTW I did not make any joke...

Peace Out!

"And, BTW I did not make any joke..."

And neither did I.

and then you'll thank me.

Clear?

I am livid over this. And let us not forget that massive murders of Putin's political opponents, critics, journalists, etc.

You think? There might be a few more x-factors involved beyond the chessboard.

And he always acknowledged the possibility he would be arrested at one of these rallies, but it didn't stop him from protesting.

Laugh about that, too.

...but this lame ass cowboy with his gang of thugs weild no more influence than a pack of mangy dogs.

I would hope the people of Russia realize what they have at stake here. It's a shame when a man of integrity has to be silenced by thugs and criminals. Sorta like what we have.

is a member of a militant US think tank. Do you think nobody in Russia knows that?

He is a part of neocon cabal and Russians don't care whatever happens to him.

News to me... what "militant U.S. think tank" is he a member of...?

Sources? Links?

In April, 2007 Kasparov was a board member of the National Security Advisory Council of Center for Security Policy,<33> a "non-profit, non-partisan national security organization that specializes in identifying policies, actions, and resource needs that are vital to American security".<34> Kasparov confirmed this and added that he was removed shortly after he became aware of it. He noted that he didn't know about the membership and suggested he was included in the board by an accident because he received the 1991 Keeper of the Flame award from this organization.<35>.<36> But Kasparov maintained his association with the neoconservative leadership by giving speeches at think tanks such as the Hoover Institute.<37> - wikipedia

And probably they (the elites) regret very much imitating the political system in USA.

:sarcasm:

But unlike US, they always openly admitted about it.


Sooner or later Russia will have two "pocket" political parties whose only differences would be how to treat DNA research. I guess that would make everybody at Potomac happy.

This does not bode well. I just hope that he's okay and doesn't have any unexpected "accidents...":scared:

I also saw his appearance on Bill Maher. Brilliant man. He did predict this, which I hope helps keep him safe. Peace, Mr. Kasparov.:patriot:

Is saurove on pootie poot's payroll now?

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aSziTzLbm6Ns&refer=home

Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Garry Kasparov, the Russian chess champion turned opposition leader, was detained by police and charged with public order offences after an anti-government rally in Moscow today, a week before parliamentary elections.

Kasparov and some of his supporters tried to march through central Moscow to hand in a petition at the central election commission following an hour-long demonstration by his loose opposition coalition, The Other Russia. A brawl ensued between demonstrators and police, and Kasparov and his bodyguards were bundled into a bus by OMON special police and driven a short distance. It's the second time he's been arrested this year.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aSziTzLbm6Ns&refer=home

“Freedom! Freedom!” supporters shouted as the bus drove off in central Moscow, AFP journalists said. The arrest came after activists from the radical left-wing National Bolshevik party, a member of The Other Russia opposition coalition led by Kasparov, broke through police lines and marched down a main Moscow avenue.

They were quickly joined by activists and leaders from other opposition groups who headed toward the offices of the Central Election Commission where they wanted to deliver a petition protesting the fairness of the upcoming vote.

About half a dozen other activists were also arrested at the same location. In a statement ahead of Saturday’s march, The Other Russia acknowledged that Moscow municipal authorities had not given permission for the planned march but said the group planned to go ahead with it anyway to protest the election. The petition would assert that the December 2 elections to the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, “are neither free nor fair,” the statement said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C11%5C25%5Cstory_25-11-2007_pg4_2

There certainly are some interesting political coalitions in Russia these days. The National Bolsheviks are blatantly anti-Semitic. "Other Russia" does not include the Communist Party, which is the largest opposition to Putin, but does include a communist youth group "Red Vanguard Youth." Strange alliances...

by what appears to be your support of Putin. if I am wrong, please correct me. but it appears to me that you are suggesting that labels are somehow reflective of political platforms. that is like saying that a Republican is for small government when the real-life version is entirely for big government owned by corporations. Kasporov is not remotely an anti-Semitic and if there are people who happen to support him, that still does not make him anti-Semitic. i suggest your time might be better served on this issue if you explored the activities and funding of the Nashi Youth Movement, the massive assassination spree against Putin's political opposition - some have the label "democrat" (since labels appear of interest here), journalists, and critics. Putin is a monster, but a new form of monster that is as dangerous to the Russians as the Bush regime has been to us. consider that Putin's entire career has been "securing" Russia from Chechen terrorists. sound familiar?

regardless of Kasparov's own views, his opposition coalition has some rather unsavory extremist groups within.

there are plenty of right wingers I disagree with on almost everything, except that we happen to agree that the Bush-Cheney cabal is a threat to our nation, and immediate threat, and so we are willing to put aside all of our various disagreements and stand as Americans, rather than go off into our niches. i think we are seeing the same type of situation in Russia.

In April, 2007 it was asserted<32> that Kasparov was a board member of the National Security Advisory Council of Center for Security Policy,<33> a "non-profit, non-partisan national security organization that specializes in identifying policies, actions, and resource needs that are vital to American security".<34> Kasparov confirmed this and added that he was removed shortly after he became aware of it. He noted that he didn't know about the membership and suggested he was included in the board by an accident because he received the 1991 Keeper of the Flame award from this organization.<35>.<36> But Kasparov maintained his association with the neoconservative leadership by giving speeches at think tanks such as the Hoover Institute.<37> - wikipedia

Well if you're against the Bush-Cheney cabal then it's hard to reconcile your support for their man in Moscow.

lala_rawraw, I don't know where you base your assertions from. Please be more forthright with how you obtain your knowledge of the issues in Russia. I'm an American living in Russia and have met most of the opposition in Other Russia. They have plenty of freedom to express themselves. They're celebrities in fact. I'm a photographer and have photographed a few of them for magazines. In shooting portraits, I need to bond with them to get a sense of character. They're pretty much fringe groups that don't really have wide support from the people. And as far as press is concerned, they get plenty of it and people widely know who they are. Yet there is no wide support for them. You mean to tell me that 3+ groups of Other Russia only gathered 3 thousand people for a protest in a city of 13 million. And please don't say that people are intimidated to join in protest. I live here and know the environment and culture. They have the freedom to do it if they support it.

Your assertion: "And let us not forget that massive murders of Putin's political opponents, critics, journalists, etc." Please name them and the proof, because you're implicating something of a serious nature and linking it to specific people as if it is obvious. The proof can be circumstantial, but needs to be quite convincing. Because I haven't heard logical argument to this effect from anybody yet.

As for Kasparov getting jailed, I can tell you it was a PR stunt. Kasparov himself is saying he isn't protesting to get elected. He had permission to rally and march, but when you have disparate groups such as Limonov's National Bolsheviks Party with ultranationalist skin heads in the mix of Other Russia, violence staged to get some good PR is a natural. Take a look at any picture shot of the event and see the protesters and then the subsequent image of Kasparov in the back of a police bus, smiling and giving the victory symbol. He wasn't cuffed and held down. He was held for 5 days and released to be filmed voting (not voting) in the Duma elections along with Limonov side by side. Another interesting fact about Limonov, is that he fought along side the Serbs during the Balkan wars and was a supporter of Serbia's fight against the Albanians in Kosovo. Then there is the Peoples Democratic Union who is lead by Mikhail Kasyanov who was called Misha "2 Percent" because during the Yeltsin Era, he pass business deals while he was Prime Minister for a 2 percent cut for himself.

Then there's Boris Nemtsov of Union of Right Forces, who was basically Yeltsin's right hand man. If anybody has the political knowledge to be part of the government is him, but he is associated too much with Yeltsin, which basically makes him not popular. His group along with Yabloko even boycotted Other Russia 2006 summit in St. Petersburg, because of the presence of extremist groups in the mix. Yabloko and Union of Right Forces have similar agendas, which is in line with the West more. If combined they would have a large (although not controlling) block in the Duma, but last year in negotiations in combining parties to overcome the 7% votes necessary to be elected into the Duma, negotiations broke down. This lead to both being not able to capitalize on the elections. So it seems the "opposition" can't even get it together, because of their own special interest. Whose to blame for that?

...stands as Americans...You say you "think you're seeing" the same thing in Russia? I'm not sure how you are seeing it. I'm seeing if from the ground here and intermingling with Russians from the low to high. Of course not everybody likes Putin or his policies, but they are free to express it. There's no secret police. Many of my friends are journalist and regularly write equally scathing attacks against Putin like Politskaya did. They're fine. But yet the majority of Russians like him. And unless your saying Russians are stupid or docile, then there is something disparate about your comments that Putin is a monster. I'm not a fan of Putin, but I think there is a lot of disinformation about Russia in the West. Let the Russians be and let them deal with their country. I've seen the misery that was a direct result of the corruption of the liberalization of Russia's resources from the 90's. And when I say liberal, it isn't the US definition of liberal. Liberal in anywhere but the US means pro-business, pro-markets, pro-capitalism, just like our Republican party.

And one last thing, I know my posting might seem long, but in order to be informed, we as Americans need to stop taking and giving information in headlines. It has dumbed down our society to condense our communications to speaking points.

Exiled tycoon says he funds underground anti-Putin groups 11/23/07
.
Exiled Russia tycoon Boris Berezovsky said Friday he is funding underground groups to "prepare people to go to the streets" to overthrow President Vladimir Putin's government.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071123/wl_uk_afp/britainrussiaberezovsky_071123175416
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Putin is trying to prevent what has happened here, where the carpetbaggers buy gov't.

Farid Babyev, who led the electoral list for the opposition Yabloko party in the Dagestan region, died Saturday after being shot Weds at the entrance to his apartment building. Babayev, a human rights activist, was a vocal critic of the local authorities and United Russia (Putin's party).

:-(

Hopefully Kasparov's fame will help to protect him somewhat.

On second thought maybe not,...

"He had arranged for top soviet grandmasters to help with his preparation. We must all provide him with information about our openings and variations, all our professional secrets. It was made clear that this was our patriotic duty to the Motherland, for the traitor must be destroyed. Many grandmasters duly obliged and submitted to this official harassment." – Garry Kasparov (on having to assist Karpov in his World Championship match against Korchnoi)