“In Russia, definitely, the uniform of any law enforcement official carries a certain magical role,” he said in an interview. The government launched its widely unpopular pension reform on June 14, the day the World Cup began. More than 1,000 people were detained nationwide, according to data from the law enforcement monitoring group OVD Info. Besides the shift in policing tactics, Russia is grappling with other issues raised by the World Cup. While a video of Verzilov being berated by a senior police officer at the World Cup final went viral in Russia, he became something of a celebrity in the precinct.

Source: National Post September 15, 2018 12:22 UTC