27.01.09

The possibility that a worsening of Russia's economic situation could cause protests in some cities across the country, including Moscow, cannot be ruled out Moscow police chief Col. Gen. Vladimir Pronin said.

"It is true that we expect an increase in the number of public protests due to a possible deterioration of the economic crisis," Pronin said at a session of the Moscow Police Public Council on Friday.

Riots in the Baltic nations, Iceland and Greece recently shown on television, during which "police proved totally helpless, make us believe that something similar could happen in our country," the police head said.

"Police officers have recently confiscated an instruction circulated by (Eduard) Limonov's party members (of the banned National Bolshevik Party movement), in which they call for a switch to offensive tactics and broadly involving universities and football fans in protest demonstrations," Pronin said.

"As the crisis gains momentum and unemployment grows, which means that people could lose their jobs and will not receive salaries, although the government's social benefits frequently do not exist, such demonstrations involving extremist provocative actions by ultra-right groups are quite possible," he said.

"Police are prepared to stop far-right groups from taking any extremist measures," he added.

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Source: Interfax