Public Support for Protests Slides

The St. Petersburg Times

Published: October 10, 2012 (Issue # 1730)

MOSCOW — Public support for large opposition protests is slipping, with 39 percent of Russians continuing to support them, compared with 44 percent after disputed State Duma elections in December, according to a new poll released Monday, Interfax reported.

The poll, conducted by the independent Levada Center, found that only 17 percent of respondents would attend protests against election fraud if they were held in the near future. The majority, 74 percent, said they would not participate.

The last March of Millions was held Sept. 15, attracting about 10,000 to 30,000 people in Moscow, according to estimates. No new rally has been scheduled, but opposition leaders have discussed holding one in late October.

While most Russians are in no mood to protest elections, many are unhappy with the government’s decision several years ago to remove the “against all” line from ballots, Levada found in a second poll released Monday, which indicated that 74 percent of Russians think the line should be brought back, while 15 percent opposed the idea.