Russian police detained at least 900 people during anti-war protests in Ukraine on Sunday (27). Protesters took to the streets in 44 cities, according to state violence monitoring NGO OVD-Info.
Since the beginning of the neighbor’s invasion, on Thursday (24), the entity has accounted for more than 4,000 arrests in all corners of the country. In Russia, protests are only allowed with the permission of city halls.
Sunday’s acts were not very voluminous, having taken place in St. Petersburg and other cities, with the capital Moscow relatively calm. In it, the main bridge leading to Red Square was the object of a silent protest.
Exactly seven years ago, Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister of the Boris Yelstin government who was a harsh critic of Vladimir Putin’s government, was killed there. A group of Chechens was blamed and arrested for the murder, which civil rights organizations blamed on the Kremlin — which, in turn, it denies.
Some people left flowers in a silent act, but others shouted slogans and were driven away by the police.
The anti-war movement faces difficulties on the streets, given the repression that was intensified after the acts against the arrest of activist Alexei Navalni in 2021, but flourished on social media and in public statements. Celebrities, sportsmen and intellectuals joined the protests.
Outside of Russia, there are massive protests taking place mainly in European cities, but not only.
