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"We have clear, coherent, noble goals. We want to make our country vibrant, a country that's looking forward to the future, because our ancestors lived here, we live here, our children live here, and our children and grandchildren will live here. We will do everything to make them happy. Nobody can do this for us but us. And if we do this, the nearest decade, the whole 21st century, will pass under the sign of our bright victories."
Multiple reports before Saturday's rally indicated that tens of thousands of Russians had been strongarmed into attending the event. University students, state employees, and workers at private companies were among those who came under pressure, according to opposition websites and social media posts.The Great American Freedom Network, ABC, also reported:
"Organise yourselves into groups of no less than four, and photograph yourselves when you arrive at the stadium," read an email, seen by the Guardian, which was sent to employees of a Moscow-based company. "Don't forget to pick up your placards on Friday!" An employee at the company said he feared his wages would be cut if he did not comply.
"Ninety percent of people here were forced to come by their employer; otherwise people just wouldn't have come, no way," Andrey, who only gave his first name for fear of repercussions, added.Evidently, the Western media's heads are exploding in their desperate rush to mask Putin's popularity. It's critical that they do so because otherwise Westerners would see how debased and servile their leaders are by comparison.
Having state enterprises push their workers to government rallies was a common practice in the Soviet Union days, and one that has continued into present-day Russia; during the last presidential campaign in 2012, reporters witnessed groups of volunteers handing out flags and cash ahead of a Putin rally.
Andrey said employers didn't necessarily threaten people, but made it clear that attendance was expected. It was like in Communist times, he said, "obligatorily voluntary."

Comment: Of course, the traces of radiation detected in Europe could be related to Russian weapons testing - but at this point in time this is mere speculation. Let's not forget that Russia is not the only nation in or around Europe playing with nuclear energy. See also: