400,000 Russians Took Part in May Day EventsThe Russian Interior Ministry said Monday that 412,800 people took part in various May Day events in 84 of the 89 regions across the country, the Interfax news agency reported.About 70,000 police and 4,376 Interior Ministry troops had been on duty nationwide, but there were no reports of any violence, the ministry press center said. However, Mikhail Shmakov, leader of the Independent Trade Unions Federation, claimed that 2.5 million people took part in rallies and processions organized by trade unions, which were mainly raising economic rather than political demands. The unions called for a new labor code that "would be agreed with the trade unions and not the one that has been submitted by the government," Shmakov said. In Moscow, thousands of people, braving a sudden drop of temperature, attended marches staged by leftist organizations and trade unions. President-elect Vladimir Putin is outside Moscow, vacationing in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. He is scheduled to return to the capital Friday. |
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