Wednesday’s protests in several cities in Russia have led to the detention of several hundred people after calls against the mobilization of reservists announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The civil rights organization OVD-Info has already started its own accounting of the demonstrations and confirmed at least 578 arrests in 30 citiesalthough it is foreseeable that the number will increase, as a result of the calls for protests.
Social media accounts linked to the opposition in Russia, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny, are broadcasting videos reportedly showing these initial protests.
In Novosibirsk, Siberia, several people gathered and demonstrated against the war. ‘I don’t want to die for Putin’said one of the protesters, who was later arrested.
In Yekaterinburg, a city in the Urals, several people were also arrested during demonstrations and put on buses.
The correspondent of the Guardian newspaper in Moscow shared a video on social media showing several people being held in Arbat. During the demonstration, chants were heard calling for an end to the war in Ukraine, Andrew Roth reports.
Arbat arrests. Hundreds of Russians protest mobilization order, chant ‘No to war’ pic.twitter.com/jhPAWA5vIe
— Andrew Roth (@Andrew__Roth) September 21, 2022
https://t.co/Cv5jaXCavT pic.twitter.com/3Cz0pf1VGR
— Andrew Roth (@Andrew__Roth) September 21, 2022
The Moscow prosecutor’s office has already warned that participation in such demonstrations or the mere dissemination of the respective calls could constitute a crime.after the first calls to protest against sending soldiers in the combat-age reserve to the war in Ukraine were published on the internet.
According to the report of AFP reporters who were in central Moscow, at least 50 people were detained by the police.
In St. Petersburg, journalists from the news agency saw police surround a small group of protesters and detain the protesters one by one.
“Why do you decide my future for me?”
The protesters shouted no to the mobilization. “I came to the meeting, but it seems that everyone has been arrested. This regime has condemned itself and destroyed its youth,” said Alexei, a 60-year-old resident, who refused to give his last name.
“Why are you serving Putin, a man who has been in power for 20 years,” a young protester yelled at a police officer.
“I came to say that I am against war and mobilization,” Oksana Sidorenko, a student, told AFP.
“Why do you decide my future for me? I’m afraid for myself, for my brother,” he added.
The riot police very quickly stopped this protest. Saw a few dozen arrests, wouldn’t be surprised if over 100 were held. pic.twitter.com/QiXY7VTzuJ
— Andrew Roth (@Andrew__Roth) September 21, 2022
According to the prosecutor, the convening of these demonstrations has not been coordinated with the competent authorities, which must approve such action. The Russian authorities will not allow any concentration that violates government guidelines.
Putin’s decree stipulated that the number of people called up for active military service would be determined by the Ministry of Defense, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a televised interview that 300,000 reservists with relevant combat and service experience would initially be recruited. be mobilized.
In addition to calling for protests, Russia has also experienced a strong exodus of civilians since Putin ordered the military to invade Ukraine nearly seven months ago.
In his address to the country this morning, announcing a partial mobilization of the reservists, the Russian president also expressed a disguised nuclear threat to Russia’s enemies of the West.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on Feb. 24 has already resulted in more than 13 million people fleeing — more than six million internally displaced persons and more than 7.4 million to European countries — according to the latest data from the UN, which ranks this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion – justified by Putin with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the generality of the international community, which responded by sending arms to Ukraine and imposing political and economic sanctions. submit to Russia.
The UN has presented 5,916 civilians killed and 8,616 injured since the start of the war, which entered its 210th day today, stressing that these numbers are far below the real one.
(with AFP)
News updated at 6:49 PM
Source: DN
