I am watching the news stories coming out of Moscow on how protestors, acting against the permits they were provided governing their activities today, tried to march on areas of the city they had not authorization for.

Russian riot police detained scores of demonstrators on Saturday, including former chess champion Gary Kasparov, in a crackdown against an opposition protest in central Moscow.

Thousands of riot police and camouflaged interior ministry soldiers locked down the city centre to prevent a march by The Other Russia, a coalition of groups who accuse President Vladimir Putin of dismantling democracy.

Kasparov, one of the leaders of The Other Russia, was detained as he attempted to lead demonstrators onto the historic Pushkin Square. Several other activists were detained and loaded on to police buses.

“What’s going on with the authorities? Have they lost their minds? What’s going on with this military operation?” asked another opposition leader, former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, when paramilitary OMON police blocked him from entering Pushkin Square.

What’s going on? Same thing that goes on in Washington DC, NY City, Los Angeles or Seattle. If you violate the terms of your demonstration permit and go into areas off limits you get arrested. Duh!

Just as demonstrators around Republican Conventions bemoan the fact they are coralled in some place – usually away from the convention – this is no different. And no more interesting or bothersome either! What’s going on? Nothing. The only people who are calling for the destruction of law and democracy in Russia are Berezovsky and his allies like Kasparov who have made it clear they support a coup d’etat to overthrow the elected government. Why? Because they know they will lose at the ballot box. So who is kidding who here? The rule of law is democracy.