Russia Arrests Nearly 1,400 at Opposition Protest as Leading Activist Is Possibly Poisoned in Jail

Police in Moscow used violent force to stop an opposition protest on Saturday, arresting nearly 1,400 people in what’s been described as the largest mass arrest in Russia in a decade. Meanwhile, Alexei Navalny—one of Russia’s most prominent opposition figures—has been hospitalized after suffering an acute allergic reaction in jail. Navalny’s doctor said he may have been exposed to “some toxic agent.” Saturday’s protest was organized to denounce the recent barring of opposition candidates from running in an upcoming election for Moscow City Council. We speak with Samuel Greene, director of the Russia Institute at King’s College London, where he teaches Russian politics. He lived and worked in Moscow for 13 years and co-authored the new book, “Putin v. the People: The Perilous Politics of a Divided Russia.” He is also the author of “Moscow in Movement: Power and Opposition in Putin’s Russia.” #DemocracyNow Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9AM ET: https://democracynow.org Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today: https://democracynow.org/donate FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE: YouTube:    / democracynow   Facebook:   / democracynow   Twitter:   / democracynow   Instagram:   / democracynow   SoundCloud:   / democracynow   iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/demo... Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe