Protests in Russia: The Example of the Blue Buckets Society

Although many protests take place in Russia, most of them do not focus on demands for change to the essential features of that country’s political regime. Most protests in Russia take place when groups of citizens complain about actions by government officials that have a negative impact on their daily lives. The Blue Buckets Society is an organization that strives to defend the interests of automobile owners in Russia by expressing demands for specific policy changes. The issues that have aroused activism by that organization have included the privileges of members of the elite who have cars with blue lights (migalki) and the expansion of the areas in which motorists have to pay to park their cars on the streets of Moscow and other cities. This article argues that the frameworks of interpretation of those issues that are offered by the Blue Buckets Society seem to resonate with the personal experiences of many Russians.