There was civil unrest in Russia Monday, as anti-corruption protestors took to the streets all across the country during a national holiday celebration. Roughly 1,500 people were arrested for gathering to denounce their government. The White House came out strong and condemned Russia for cracking down on the peaceful protestors. All of the Big Three Networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) reported on the mass arrests during their evening broadcasts, but they all ignored the White House’s condemnation of the Russian government.
But on CNN’s The Lead, host Jake Tapper started the segment off by noting the Trump administration’s swift rebuke. “The White House this afternoon called on the Russian government to release demonstrators arrested earlier today in anti-corruption protests across Russia,” announced Tapper. “Press Secretary Sean spacer calling the arrests, which included minors, an affront to, quote, “core democratic values.”
Not only did Spicer note protesters, but he mentioned the arrests of journalists as well. “The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve a government that supports an open marketplace of ideas, transparent and accountable governance, equal treatment under the law and the ability to exercise their right without fear or retribution,” Spicer added.
Tapper leaned on CNN reporter Diana Magnay, who was in St. Petersburg, Russia, to explain what was happening on the ground. “Well, this is the second round of protests, Jake, called by Alexei Navalny, a Kremlin critic, and anti-corruption campaigner,” she explained to Tapper. “And he's managed to galvanize tens of thousands of people in more than 100 cities across this country today, the second time that they came out.”
“And the Kremlin, I think, has been taken back by the scale of these protests and has reacted both times by detaining hundreds of protests as most of them in Moscow and St. Petersburg,” Magnay continued as she chronicled Navalny’s run-ins with Russian authorities.
Note how Magney stated that Monday’s protests were “the second round” of public demonstrations. The first round of protests occurred in late March of 2017. During those corruption protests, there were hundreds of arrests and the Trump administration condemned them as well. The Big Three Networks also ignored the administration’s condemnation back then as well.
At the time, the State Department said: “The United States strongly condemns the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters throughout Russia on Sunday … Detaining peaceful protesters, human rights observers, and journalists is an affront to core democratic values.”
It’s easy to understand why the Big Three Networks would want to omit that detail from their reports: it goes against their Trump/Russia narrative. Throughout their coverage of the Russia investigation, they often play up how well President Trump speaks about Russian President Vladimir Putin. But they rarely mention when the Trump administration denounces the Russian government, whether it’s in a press briefing or on the floor of the United Nations.
Transcript below:
CNN
The Lead
June 12, 2017
4:50:50 PM EasternJAKE TAPPER: And other world news today. The White House this afternoon called on the Russian government to release demonstrators arrested earlier today in anti-corruption protests across Russia. Press Secretary Sean spacer calling the arrests, which included minors, an affront to, quote, “core democratic values.” One of those taken into custody, a well-known Russian opposition leader and Putin critic. And I want to get right to CNN’s Diana Magnay in St. Petersburg in Russia. Diana, how did these protests come about?
DIANA MAGNAY: Well, this is the second round of protests, Jake, called by Alexei Navalny, a Kremlin critic, and anti-corruption campaigner. And he's managed to galvanize tens of thousands of people in more than 100 cities across this country today, the second time that they came out. And the Kremlin, I think, has been taken back by the scale of these protests and has reacted both times by detaining hundreds of protests as most of them in Moscow and St. Petersburg. And I think he's hoping that that crushes the momentum that Navalny is trying to build, but it may not be that easy, Jake.
TAPPER: Diana, tell us more about the opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
MAGNAY: Well, he's a very interesting figure. He's an anti-corruption blogger. He's produced these videos on YouTube, which have been viewed millions of times, detailing the kind of yachts and estates belonging especially to the Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. And that really resonates with the young who feel that the political elite in this country lead a very, very different life when many normal people can't really scrape past the poverty line.
Navalny himself is campaigning to run for president in next year's elections, and it's unclear whether he will because of a lightly spurious embezzlement conviction. That means that the laws in this country may mean he can't run for public office. But I think with these protests he's trying to put pressure on the Kremlin so if they block him from running it will appear illegitimate and against the public will. And on his campaign trail so far he's been sprayed with antiseptic, you’ll see him with a green face, burns to the eye. But he is a very interesting figure and someone that the Kremlin will be watching and I think possibly fearing. Jake.
TAPPER: Indeed. Diana Magnay in St. Petersburg, Russia, thanks so much.
