 He spoke at the largest demonstration, on December 24, at which he also organized security, which involved forestalling neo-Nazi provocations.His public activities in December 2011 marked the beginning of his career as a high-profile media presence and commentator.During the Bolotnaya Square protests, which took place in Moscow on May 6, 2012, the day before Vladimir Putin's inauguration as president of Russia, Gaskarov was beaten by riot police using batons and boots.