Police search homes of Putin opponents on eve of major rally
The searches, which police launched at the apartments of opposition leaders early in the morning, were a new sign Putin is shifting to more aggressive tactics to quash protests as he starts a six-year term.
Putin signed a law last Friday that increased fines for violations of public order at street demonstrations, ignoring warnings from his human rights council that it was unconstitutional. Putin’s opponents said the law was an attempt to silence dissent.
