50,000 rally in Moscow against Crimea action: AFP estimate

[rug]

15 Mar 2014
Moscow (AFP)

Around 50,000 people rallied Saturday in central Moscow in protest at Russia's intervention in Ukraine, a day before the Crimean peninsula is expected to vote on switching to Kremlin rule, an AFP team estimated.

Many of the protesters adopted the chants and slogans of Ukraine's popular uprising that ousted pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych last month. Holding Ukrainian and Russian flags, they also shouted: "The occupation of Crimea is Russia’s disgrace" and "Hands off Ukraine."

http://www.afp.com/en/node/1300158

#t=14

http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/europe/53109-50,000-protest-crimea-action-in-moscow

[another_liberal]

1. On the other hand . . .

Official estimates of the protest crowd size are more in the range of 3,000 to 5,000.

At least we aren't being told there were thirty million, like CNN claimed for the anti-Morsi protests in Cairo.

[rug]

2. What officials did the estimating?

[another_liberal]

3. What "officials" would there be in Moscow?

Certainly not the CIA (unless you count the agents working out of our embassy there).

[rug]

6. The Russian government estimated a protest against the Russian government to be a tenth of AFP's?

Where have I heard this before?

[another_liberal]

8. Beats me . . .

Where?

[rug]

13. Let's see . . . .

November 15, 1969

May 9, 1970

September 19, 1981

January 19, 1991

January 18, 2003

I wonder if the National Park Service trained the Russians in crowd estimates.

[joshcryer]

24. Well, that was flawless.

Kudos.

[Gravitycollapse]

5. The photo in the OP alone easily contains more than 3000 people.

[another_liberal]

7. I'll have to take your word for that.

I'm still trying to figure how CNN crowded thirty million people into a square that can only hold a maximum of two hundred fifty thousand.

[Gravitycollapse]

10. How is that relevant to the AFP estimate?

[another_liberal]

11. Did I say it was?

Where did I say that?

[Gravitycollapse]

12. If it isn't relevant, why did you bother to bring it up?

[bluestate10]

16. The circular logic bullshit drives me insane too. nt

[Cha]

4. "50,000 rally in Moscow against Crimea action: AFP estimate" Wow..

thanks rug

[another_liberal]

17. This also happened in Moscow today.

Tens of thousands hit streets in Russia ahead of crucial Crimea vote.

Thousands have gathered in Moscow for a rally ‘In Support of Crimea and Against Fascism’ on the eve of the independence referendum in the Ukrainian autonomous republic. A rival peace rally attracted as many supporters. The protesters then gathered for a rally on Revolution Square near the Kremlin, where the leader of Essene of Time, Sergey Kurginyan, delivered an emotional speech, vowing to rebuke Nazi supporters in Russia.

According to the political activist, that “there were many Russians among radical protesters in Ukraine” who share ideas of Nazi collaborator and the leader of Ukrainian Nationalist party Stepan Bandera. “Local followers of Bandera supporters, who licked the boots of Russophobes this winter, were training in Kiev to later succeed in Moscow,” he said.

“There will be no Maidan in Moscow!” Kurginyan stated to the approval of demonstrators. A crowd of demonstrators, led by the public movement Essence of Time (Sut’ Vremeni), marched Saturday through downtown Moscow to show their solidarity with Crimeans, the majority of whom are ethnic Russians. Many were waving red flags and Russian tricolors and holding placards with slogans such as “Crimea, we are with you!”, “Russia doesn’t ditch its people” and “Ukraine and Russia are together against Fascism.”

Essence of Time members - all dressed in same red jackets and black hats with the movement’s logos - were followed by activists of other political parties and groups and ordinary Muscovites who believe Russia should support its compatriots living in the autonomous republic on the Black Sea.

(snip)

But they don't matter anyway, do they?

Goodbye for now, Natasha and me must be off to foil plans of moose and squirrel!

[William769]

9. It won't be believed trust me. It's not from RT.

[geek tragedy]

14. see the first reply.

[William769]

15. I did see that.

It's what prompted my post.

[Cha]

18. I saw who it was and didn't need to read it..

[Bigmack]

19. Yet another reason to stay the fuck out of this one....

Let's sit back and watch Russia tear itself apart over this thing.

Maybe it won't happen, but I remember how the Soviets - and others - laughed their asses off about our Vietnam protests.

I don't want protestors hurt or killed, but just knowing there is division and dissent in Russia over this makes me all warm inside.

Schadenfreude... it's what's for dinner.

[Gravitycollapse]

20. That's a really dark, disgusting way to look at these protests.

[hrmjustin]

21. I am glad people are speaking out against putin.

[Iliyah]

22. Thanks rug!

Kinda reminds me of the tea bagger's protest where there were only a dozen or so but the corporate media focused on them 24/7 and hardly showed the protesters that were in the tens of thousands.

50,000 is huge for Russia and thanks for posting it. I believe a large portion of Russia's citizens are against what Putin is doing.

[7962]

23. If that many are willing to show it in public, how many feel the same in private?

Protesting there is certainly NOT like protesting here!