Putin meets with Jewish leaders, Communist party protest

Zuher
Published on Feb 24, 2021
1. Exterior Kremlin
2. Russian flag on the Presidential Palace
3. Wide shot Russian President Vladimir Putin enters, shakes hands with Berl Lazar, Chief Rabbi of Russia
4. Cutaway photographer
5. Wide shot meeting at the table
6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vladimir Putin, Russian President
"Cultural diversity of our country is a special treasure and it requires careful handling and, if necessary, protection. No one should doubt that the government has followed such a policy and will do so in the future."
7. Wide shot Putin and Lazar at the meeting
8. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Berl Lazar, Chief Rabbi of Russia
"The main idea of Hannukah is to bring kindness and light to everyone around. And right now the main task of our community is to promote tolerance and respect towards each other. And I do not just mean in relations between Jews and non-Jews. But there should be understanding, love and true respect among all nations."
9. Pan Communist demonstrators outside Central Elections Committee
10. Close up woman shouting in protest, crowd of demonstrators
11. Mid shot Communist flags, people chanting
12. Mid shot Communist spokesman, Alexander Kuvayev, speaking to crowd over megaphone
13. Mid shot demonstrators holding sign
14. Mid shot two old men demonstrators
15. Mid shot police
16. Close up policeman
17. Wide shot demonstrators
18. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Alexander Kuvayev, Communist spokesman:
"The presidential elections will be as much of a farce as the parliamentary elections were. We have yet to decide on our tactics. We will either passively or actively boycott the elections."
19. Mid shot demonstrators
20. Close up older demonstrator
21. Mid shot police
22. Mid shot exterior Central Elections Committee building, tilt down to crowd of demonstrators
23. Close up Communist flags

STORYLINE:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Berl Lazar, to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hannukah with the Russian Jewish community.

During the meeting in Moscow on Friday, Putin assured Lazar that the Russian government would do everything possible to protect the values of a multi-ethnic Russia.

In return, Lazar said that the Russian Jewish Community wanted to enhance mutual respect and understanding among all people living in Russia.

Meanwhile, Russian Communists gathered outside the Central Elections Committee building in Moscow to protest against what they consider to be the rigging of the vote in parliamentary elections earlier this month.

The Communists are likely to boycott the forthcoming presidential elections, after accusing authorities of widespread rigging and fraud in the parliamentary elections.

Communist spokesman Alexander Kuvayev said his party was deciding whether to passively or actively boycott the March presidential elections.

Communists polled about 13 per cent in the parliamentary elections - significantly lower than in previous elections - while the pro-Kremlin United Russia Party won a record number of votes at almost 38 per cent and is consequently expected to dominate the Duma.

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