Russian protesters storm Putin party office

ST PETERSBURG, Russia – Three activists stormed an office of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s political party in St Petersburg on Thursday to accuse him of ignoring the plight of ordinary people in the economic slowdown.

Two members of the banned National Bolshevik Party handcuffed themselves to a radiator while another set off fireworks, closing a United Russia office in Russia’s second city for 30 minutes, a party official said.

The protesters demanded the government stop spending billions of dollars to bail out “banks and oligarchs” and instead freeze tariffs for electricity and public transport, National Bolshevik official Andrei Dmitriyev said.

“We demanded a meeting with Putin,” Dmitriyev said. “I have not doubt that our demands will be put on Putin’s desk.”

Police detained all three protesters.