The beginning of the end for Putin

More and more Russians have had enough of Vladimir Putin´s corrupted regime of thugs. Putin has answered in the same way as all dictators - by arresting peaceful demonstrators:

Russian riot police have arrested hundreds of activists in central Moscow to stop a new protest alleging that elections were rigged in favour of Vladimir Putin's ruling party.
Helmeted police in green camouflage and interior ministry troops deployed in force for an event that was organised through the internet after a rare thousands-strong protest on Monday startled the authorities.
Opposition supporters shouted "Shame on you fascists" and "Russia without Putin" in a tense stand-off with hundreds of pro-Kremlin youth who descended on the site in advance.

Read the entire article here

Putin should know - and he probably does know - that this the beginning of the end of his regime. He may be able to stay on for a while with the help of his corrupted and brutal security machinery, but sooner or later he will be forced out.

PS

US senator John McCain, a leading critic of Putin, today tweeted this (according to FT):

 “Dear Vlad [prime minister Vladimir Putin], the Arab spring is coming to a neighbourhood near you”.

And this is the prediction of Yulia Latynina, writing in the Moscow Times:

"Putin´s system is disintegrating with frightening speed. My guess is that it won´t survive until the next elections."