(22 Aug 2003)
1. Russian flag with Cabinet headquarters in background
2. Wide shot of demonstrators marching with national flags
3. Small boy helping carry giant flag
4. Wide shot of demonstration
5. Various of demonstrators
6. Memorial to three men who died during coup attempt
7. Flag being raised over the memorial
8. Wide shot of rally
9. Demonstrators
10. Russian flag
11. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Lyubov Komar, Mother of Dmitry Komar:
"He stood for justice. He always fought for fairness. He died here - such was his fate."
12. Wide shot of rally
13. Wide shot of memorial
14. Close up flowers
15. Russian flag
STORYLINE:
A little more than a hundred demonstrators have marched with Russia's national tricolor flags in Moscow to mark the 12th anniversary of the failed Communist hardline coup.
The coup, aimed at ousting then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, failed three days after it began on August 19, 1991, largely due to popular resistance.
Thousands of Muscovites held rallies and demonstrations in support of Gorbachev and then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who also opposed the coup.
Three people were killed as they tried to prevent tanks from advancing on the parliament building, the stronghold of the anti-Communist opposition.
The events weakened Gorbachev, causing the Soviet Union to crumble and leaving Yeltsin to lead the new Russia.
Yeltsin enjoyed wide popular support at the time, but that faded during his two terms as president as painful economic reforms left many people disillusioned with democracy and capitalism.
President Vladimir Putin, who was installed by Yeltsin in late 1999 and elected in 2000, ignored the coup attempt anniversary.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
