An anti-Putin rally in Moscow from February, 2012. Photo: wiki commons.

NY Times – Demonstrators gathered in a drenching rain in central Moscow on Tuesday, in a show of defiance toward a government that evidently hopes to bring an end to the large gatherings protesting Vladimir V. Putin that began here six months ago.

A march held last month ended in chaotic clashes between protesters and riot police, and the Kremlin, warning of rising radicalism, rushed to adopt tough measures against protesters. Among the official moves was to push through Parliament a law that levies fines of $9,000 for individuals participating in rallies that cause harm to people or property — a devastating penalty in a country whose average yearly salary is around $8,500.

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