Well done, glad to see our Police protecting other peoples' article 17 and 19 rights here. Sorry Mr protester, but you and your western buddies are not the legal arbiters of other Russian citizens rights, even though that is exactly what you want to do with your western backers, to be above our laws.

"The events in support of the Article 31 are also expected to be held in New York, London and Tel Aviv????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? What the hack, Russia is not Jewish country amd Russians do not ask the Jews how to conduct their internal affairs.

STOCKHOLM - A senior Swedish prosecutor reopened a rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday. Are four deputies of the European parliament want to take part in investigation of human rights violations of afghan people by USA insurgence reflecting in 15,000 Afghan war documents also? Why not?

I do not particularly care about the ethnicity of these people but facts show that so-called oppositions groups against the Russian government, that those who use thee sign of Article 31-has foreign backers among them members of the very oligarchs who brought death and destruction to Russia. This is shame because Putin and his party do need genuine opposition. But what we have here are agents of foreign powers. Putin and the Russian state must distinguish these groups from people with genuine concerns. http://en.rian.ru/photolents/20100901/160421927.html

@Khalid ... they don't investigate themselves :)

Khalid, The EU is completely complicit in the attrocities commited in Iraq and Afghanistan, even Sweden were happy to take part in shipping people of for torture. So don't expect anything from the guilty EU. At best they will just be their usual quiet selves, pretending they did nothing and looking away, for it is truly the European political way. It is the 'wasn't me' pathetic denial. At worst they will construct elaborate justifications, laced with the usual cocktail of fine words, to hide their evil deeds, soaked ín the juice of EU hypocricy. We brought dmocracy they will say, you will ask, so all parties take part, and they will answer, no, just the ones we let. For their word is everyones command. But that is the way the colonial europeans have always conducted their rule over their foreign subjects and dominions, so why would Iraq or Afghanistan be any different.

Dear PR101, I took a look on http://en.rian.ru/photolents/20100901/160421927.html site where Chichvarkin, Berezovsky and other participanted of London rally. I read that all of them are criminals by Russian law. Based on that, Russia can refuse to give visa to any deputiy of the self-proclamed European parliament to enter Russia and then travel freelly around. I cannot picture that somebody come to USA and then paricipate in rally to fix my constitution.

Can RT explain to the readers why are these self-styled constitution-interpreting clowns called the OPPOSITION! There is absolutely nothing in their work to qualify them for the honorable word -- opposition. They do not have a program. They do not work the way opposition should work. They are not at all interested in coming up with an alternative platform in clear terms. They have not cared to be clear on any issue of local or national import. They do not care about constituents or voters. So what exactly are they? The way I see it, they are groupies of a new sort --- a brand new reality TV show. Their sloganeering is meaningless, just as is the symbology of '31'. Of course, Consitution guarantees the right of assembly --- not just in Russia but in US and Europe. Just like in US and Europe, that does not mean that people can gather anywhere they please, any time they please. There are a nuber of things one cannot do in US. For example, one cannot hold a ralley without a permit. And that is true of any kind of rally --- whether it is in front of White House or a local park. Once you get a permit, there are a number of rules organizers are supposed to follow, and a number of good tips are given by the Park Police in DC. After all, rallies are often attended by families, and the safety of attendees is important. The people who hold a reality TV show on "31" are trying to pretend that regulations governing holding of rallies does not apply to THEM. All they really want are TV cameras, and they take a lots of pictures. But their whole "protest" is based on a lie, pretty gigantic lie, trying to defend the "freedom of assembly" by breaking the law. Now, if they would declare themselves ANARCHISTS, and are there to start a revolution --- that is another thing. They have a right to do that, but why then lie, hide behind the Constitution while breaking the law? They are no opposition for sure.

Bianca, Absolutely correct, these are not opposition, they have no platform, they number less than 100 with 300 journalists, even most of the western press found it all too embarassing to print. There are real issues here, like poverty, like living and environmental conditions, like womens rights, like ageism, like medicine authetnicity.... issues that I see nothing about from these clowns. What I see, is our government trying to address the issues as best they can, but without any opposition saying, well what about doing it this way instead, if you did this, you would make an even stronger, better Russia. That is why Medvedev and Putin get the approval ratings they do, because we just want security and stability, whilst the real problems are addressed in an orderly fashion. We want prosperity and as quick as possible, but we don't want it through debt, and we certainly don't want any loss of security or any instability in any form whatsoever. We have had enough of that!

2nd try: Bianca & others: At least in Finland demonstrations don't need any permission from anyone. Only thing needed is a notice to the police before 6 hours of the demonstration. Even this in most cases can be filled afterwards. Any public place can be used for the demonstration. This is how it is and should be in a free democratical country. Also foreigners can participate in demonstrations. There was a Putin jugend (nashi) members for example 2009 protesting againts Sofi Oksanen's and Imbi Paju's book about Estonian occupation. Not many Russian people dare to participate in demonstrations because of the mentality Putin & co have: "Hit them with the stick to head!". They fear for their jobs and health too much. So whatever these 31st day activists are protesting, they are doing that for all Russian's future freedom. And I think they are very brave people. I for example think that these misguided nashi people should have a right to express their opinions in Finland. They are against all the values I have, but still I'd be ready to support their rights, if someone would want to take them away. It's so sad to find so narrow minded individuals who want to take right from others expressing their views in public. Is it ok the other way too? That your opinions can also be suffogated by someone else who happens to have means for it? Just think that one day the government takes away some right that you keep valued. What can you do if you can't even demonstrate your opinions. Think about that! Accept your fate in silence?

Marco you are wrong, nobody stops this people from demonstrating, other sites have been giving to them to demonstrate,="http://rian.ru/moscow/20100831/270744537.html," use translator to read it,..... this people want to go were ever they like to demonstrate and i mean all one hundred of them plus the three hundred mainly foreign journalists, this people are not demonstrating for Russia or Russians but they are demonstrating for there foreign sponsors ,...have you seen how demonstrations are broken up in so call western countries,...

Akropolis, You are correct, these are not protesters, but foreign agents. Their game is simple to try to derail and limit Russia's development. See Russia is moving forward big time, in terms of growth, in tems of financial capacity, in terms of modern technology, in terms of relationships with the EU and major EU players, in terms of a mutipolar order, in terms of military capability..... This is all at a time when the west is by an large stagnating. There are real problems here in Russia, just like in any aother country, ones that need addressing, but to fix those, would just further strengthen Russia, so are not exactly things the west wants to see done. So the west continually tries to do a reset on Russia, to try to take it back to smashing things to the foundations, it tries to get Russia focused on organisation, on rights, hoping that it will cause problems for Russia and divert it from its development. It also hopes this approach will limit Russia's development in the wider world, based on negative PR flowing from the west's media controlled machine. See in simple tems, the west's interest in Russia is to limit it, to contain it, as Russia is one of the only threats to its world hegmony and colonialistic Ideaological quests. Focusing on these agents, is just but another tool in the anti-Russian limit Russia toolbox, just like wars,subversion, revolution, terrorism and propaganda.... are also tools deployed when required. So Russia is right to hit these agents on the head, and focus on prosperity and moving forward. Russia has a unique opportuntity to find a US business culture but limit the bankers and financial elite's control, to find German industrialisation but without the drag of paying for other countries, to find European standards of living but without debt or theft via tax from the able ones. It is a huge challenge to grow the working model, but we are helped by being able to see the mistakes of others. The west will not stop us!

Akropolis: I know they can protest where government wants them to protest. Somewhere nobody will see them! And of course strangely (this is sarcasm) always the place they want to protest, is already reserved for some pro-kremlin event. This is just to make simpler people to believe that these people are just trouble makers. Question what your government is feeding you. The demonstrations should be had in visible place, where people will see it. Even maybe causing some minor inconvience to others if necessary. That is the whole point of demonstration as it is defined in free societies. And in the west the demonstrations are broken up mainly only because demonstrators are throwing rocks or burning cars or doing something alike not consider to be part of the way of expressing their opinions freely.

Count cash: I'm sorry, but you are not just delusional but paranoid as well. First of all there's no sign of any of the economical things going on in Russia you described. Russia is a 3rd world economy living from it's natural resources and spending it's money on consumer products imported from the west and China. There's no major industrial development and there'll never will be as long as the corruption is the norm and government can take possession of any company it wants. Only country that actually is competing for the most important economical and political power in the world is China. Russia is far behind and only in two sectors ahead: natural resources and nuclear weapons. The west is hoping nothing but the stable, democratical and strong economy Russia. For example the economical gap in Finnish-Russian border is one the biggest in the world. Finland is giving money for Russian development in nearby regions. Only thing west wants to "limit" Russia is to keep it inside it's borders. And I think that's quite fair prerequisite. As Putin & co can't seem to get the country on tracks, who do you think they want to make Russians believe is the fault? Them? Not likely. They want Russians to think that all the trouble comes from outside. It's the oldest game in the world. Don't be fooled by it.

Marco the Moscow government is giving them many sites in downtown Moscow, those one to two hundred demonstrators have a choice but they don't want to, there only goal is to provoke the authorities and then to run to there western patrons and cry wolf about no democracy in Russia,.. Russia is Finland's biggest trading partner, thousands of Finns own there livelihood because Russian's buy there products, so for Finland to help some of the poorer areas of Russia until the catch up is a good thing,....

Akropolis: Why shouldn't they have right to have a demonstration in the middle of the city where they want to? I don't think the bad treatment of these people is needed to prove that the Russian democracy is far from real. And why are Putin & co so afraid of a few hundred people? This is interesting question to think about. As a Finnish tax payer I don't understand why I have to finance for example St Petersburg's waste treatment plant while Russian olicharcs are at the same time competing who buys the largest yacht in the world. Why don't Russia collect enough taxes from them and pay to clean it's own wastes?

Marko you come from a position hostile to the current Russian authorities, i respect that, everyone has out side of Russia its own opinion of what is going on there, if we all had the same opinion there wouldn't be a need to debate, I am for restricting demonstrators to were they want to go , you feel they should go were ever they please, its fair, ... Russia has its laws and all should respect them, if you or me don't like them to bad. Your tax money shouldn't finance St Petersburg waste plant but on that your problem is with your government for doing it and not with Russia.