Russians protest voter fraud extending Putin’s reign
A woman holds a poster reading “July 1. Boycott of Putin’s amendments” protesting on Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky).
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 5:25 PM PT — Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Anti-government protests continue across Russia amid claims of rampant voter fraud in the recent constitutional referendum. Thousands of residents took to the streets of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities on Wednesday to denounce the extension of Vladimir Putin’s rule until 2036.
Demonstrators claimed the vote featured rife procedural violations, including voting by non-citizens and ballot harvesting.
According to them, millions of ballots were cast in trunks of cars, open cardboard boxes and parking garages.
“The vote is just a show. It is more for Putin to show that ‘Look, the people support me, I am still needed, I am in demand.” As a matter of fact, the majority of people are against him and are just afraid to speak out.” – Anton Zhuravlyov, resident
FILE – In this Feb. 29, 2020, file photo, protester holds a poster reading “Tired of” during a rally in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in St. Petersburg, Russia. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, File)
The Kremlin has said 75% of Russians voted to amend the constitution. However, independent exit polls revealed at least 50% of voters said “no” and the real turnout was dismally low.