Russians riot over car taxes

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VLADIVOSTOK // Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Vladivostok in eastern Russia this week to protest against higher duties being imposed on imported cars by the government in Moscow. The demonstrations prompted violent and angry clashes with riot police, who detained around 200 protesters. Russian car makers, who employ more than 1.4 million workers, have been hard hit by the global economic slowdown, and the government has introduced higher taxes on imported cars to help prop up domestic production. Last year, Russian consumers spent $30.5bn (Dh112bn) on foreign imports.