The woman driving Russia’s opposition protests

Sarah Rainsford BBC News Moscow correspondent writes about Lyubov Sobol, the main force behind Russia’s recent opposition protests.

The young lawyer and popular video blogger is one of a group of opposition activists who have been barred from local elections in Moscow, sparking a growing wave of demonstrations.

Rainsford also gives the background to the recent wave of protests in Moscow.

She adds that the spate of socially-focused protests, and an economic downturn, have already seen Vladimir Putin’s famously sky-high popularity rating slide.

Rainsford writes that Sobol argues the violence against demonstrators rules out any compromise. She and others have announced that the protest will continue.

The authorities show no sign of compromise either. Which means these surprise political protests could yet spiral into a political crisis.

Read more at BBC