2011. Russia. 2011 Russian Elections. Part 1.
"Thousands of people demonstrate on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow December 10, 2011 against the rigging of the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation" under Public Domain by Voice of America.
The lead-up to Russia's 2011 elections was marked by increasing discontent among the Russian population with the ruling party, United Russia, led by then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Human Rights Watch reported on November 21, 2011, that there were concerns about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process, including restrictions on political opposition and media freedom. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace also noted on December 2, 2011, that United Russia was facing challenges and could be slipping in popularity.
As the elections took place on December 4, 2011, reports of fraud and manipulation emerged. The Washington Post and The New York Times both reported on December 5, 2011, that monitors had found flaws in the Russian elections, including allegations of ballot stuffing and erasable ink. The New Yorker also reported on December 5, 2011, that there were widespread accusations of faking results in favor of United Russia. Despite the reported irregularities, United Russia managed to barely maintain a majority in the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, as reported by WBUR and The Christian Science Monitor on December 5, 2011.
The aftermath of the elections was marked by widespread protests and opposition to the results. BBC News reported on December 5, 2011, that hundreds of people rallied against Putin in Moscow, and The Guardian reported on December 6, 2011, that Russian police and troops clashed with protesters. The New York Times also reported on December 6, 2011, that Russia cracked down on anti-government protests and hundreds of people were arrested.
Social media played a significant role in mobilizing protesters, as reported by RFERL and The Guardian on December 7, 2011. Protests continued across Russia, and opposition leaders were jailed, as reported by Reuters and The New York Times on December 7 and 8, 2011. Putin accused the U.S. of stoking the protests, as reported by Reuters on December 8, 2011.
The protests against alleged election fraud and the Putin government grew in size and intensity, as reported by VOA News, The Guardian, and The New York Times on December 9 and 10, 2011. Tens of thousands of people participated in the protests, making it the biggest wave of protests since the fall of the USSR, as reported by BBC News on December 10, 2011. The Economist also noted on December 11, 2011, that Russia's middle class, which had been seen as a key support base for Putin, was turning against him.
In response to the protests, the Russian government allowed some demonstrations to take place while trying to discourage attendance, as reported by The New York Times on December 9, 2011. Russian TV coverage of the protests was also analyzed by The New York Times and BBC News on December 10, 2011, with reports of a straightforward account on some channels and attempts to downplay the protests on others.
Overall, the 2011 elections in Russia were marked by concerns about fairness and transparency, allegations of fraud and manipulation, widespread protests, and a growing discontent among the Russian population with the ruling party and the Putin government. The protests represented a significant challenge to Putin's authority and signaled a turning point in Russian politics, with the middle class and other segments of the population expressing their dissatisfaction with the status quo. The aftermath of the elections and the protests had a significant impact on Russia's domestic politics and its relationship with the international community.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on April 8, 2023
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Putin Is A War Criminal
Russia Is A Terrorist State:
Part 1 (1990s)
Part 2 (2000s)
Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
Part 4 (2016 - 2019)
Part 5 (2020 - 2021)
Part 6 (2022+)
Sources 2011. Russia. 2011 Russian Elections. Part 1:
Russian National Elections in 2011 and 2012 - Human Rights Watch November 21, 2011
Russia’s Duma Elections - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace December 2, 2011
Blow for Putin in Russian election results - ABC News Australia December 4, 2011
Monitors find Russian elections flawed - The Washington Post December 5, 2011
Voters Watch Polls in Russia, and Fraud Is What They See - The New York Times December 5, 2011
Fraud and manipulation - DW December 5, 2011
Russian election overshadowed by accusations of fraud, manipulation - DW December 5, 2011
Russian Elections: Faking It - The New Yorker December 5, 2011
Putin's Party Barely Hangs Onto Its Majority - wbur December 5, 2011
Monitors find Russian elections flawed - The Washington Post December 5, 2011
Russian Voters Send Putin A Message - NPR December 5, 2011
Russia election: Hundreds rally against Putin in Moscow - BBC News December 5, 2011
Voters Watch Polls in Russia, and Fraud Is What They See - The New York Times December 6, 2011
Putin’s Big Mistake? - The New Yorker December 6, 2011
Clinton cites ‘serious concerns’ about Russian election - CNN December 6, 2011
Russia Cracks Down on Antigovernment Protests - The New York Times December 6, 2011
Russian police and troops clash with protesters in Moscow - The Telegraph December 6, 2011
Hundreds Arrested On Second Night Of Opposition Protests In Russia - RFERL December 6, 2011
Medvedev 'tweet' sends the Russian blogosphere into a frenzy - The Guardian December 7, 2011
Russia protests: Gorbachev calls for election re-run - BBC News December 7, 2011
Gorbachev calls for Russian elections to be declared void - The Guardian December 7, 2011
Russia's anti-Putin protests grow - The Guardian December 7, 2011
Protests barely seen on Russian TV - BBC News December 7, 2011
Putin Contends Clinton Incited Unrest Over Vote - The New York Times December 8, 2011
A Warning Shot For Putin - Foreign Affairs December 8, 2011
Putin warns protesters ahead of rally - UPI December 8, 2011
Protests across Russia to test Putin and opponents - Reuters December 8, 2011
Putin says U.S. stoked Russian protests - Reuters December 8, 2011
Pro-Democracy Protests Put Putin, Russia at Turning Point - VOA News December 9, 2011
Russia protest: White ribbon emerges as rallying symbol - BBC News December 9, 2011
Rousing Russia With a Phrase - The New York Times December 9, 2011
Russia Allows Protest, but Tries to Discourage Attendance - The New York Times December 9, 2011
Russian election: Biggest protests since fall of USSR - BBC News December 10, 2011
Rally Defying Putin’s Party Draws Tens of Thousands - The New York Times December 10, 2011
Voting, Russian-style - The Economist December 10, 2011
Russians protest Putin, election fraud - CBS News December 10, 2011
Russians protest Putin, election fraud - CBS News December 10, 2011
Russian election: Biggest protests since fall of USSR - BBC News December 10, 2011
On Russian TV, a Straightforward Account Is Startling - The New York Times December 10, 2011
Analysis: Russian TV grapples with protests - BBC News December 10, 2011
Boosted by Putin, Russia’s Middle Class Turns on Him - The New York Times December 11, 2011
Anti-Putin protests erupt across Russia - Al Jazeera December 11, 2011
A Russian awakening - The Economist Dcember 11, 2011
Few at Putin Party’s Rally, and Even Fewer Willingly - The New York Times December 12, 2011
Russian Election Protests - The Atlantic December 12, 2011