Russia Protest Activity Surges Over Pension Reform, Report Says
- Kremlin pushed plan through despite widespread opposition
- Communists, opposition leader Navalny top protest organizers
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The number of protests in Russia nearly tripled in the third quarter from the year before as opposition to the government’s plans to raise the pension age spread, according to a study released Thursday.
The jump, spread across the country, led to a “significant” increase in the total for the year to date, the Moscow-based Center for Economic and Political Reforms said. Three-quarters of the actions were motivated by socio-economic issues, with pension reforms the target of 47 percent of them -- a total of 1,174. Political issues were the focus of 16 percent. The majority of the actions were small, involving fewer than 100 people, and most had government authorization.