Thousands of Russians detained following anti-war protests

Rallies in dozens of cities came after authorities blocked Facebook and Twitter, closed country’s last independent news outlet.

Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in central Moscow on March 3. Picture: AFP

Russian police detained thousands of people protesting the war in Ukraine, as the Kremlin – which has banned Facebook and Twitter and shut down independent media – moved to silence any dissent against the military operations.

Thousands turned out on Sunday in dozens of cities across the country. They were the largest demonstrations so far of the daily anti-war rallies that have taken place in Russia since President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

In Moscow, crowds gathered at Manezhnaya Square, just outside the Kremlin’s walls, chanting “No to war”, and one man was detained while singing the Ukrainian national anthem. In St Petersburg, people marched down the central artery, Nevsky Prospekt.

But the protests are unlikely to affect Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, with police detaining more than 13,000 people since the protests kicked off and recent polling showing majority support for the war. According to independent protest monitor OVD-Info, police detained more than 4600 people on Sunday in 63 cities. The figures, which were still rising as the evening went on, bring the number detained to nearly 13,000 since February 24.

The demonstrators turned out despite the threat of opposing the Kremlin, which has steadily suppressed dissent and opposing voices in Russia.

Russia’s main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, who was jailed last year, called for the rallies in social media posts on Friday. “You may be scared, but to succumb to this fear means to take the side of the fascists and murderers,” Mr Navalny wrote.

The rallies are unlikely to shift Mr Putin’s thinking. “If we’re not talking about millions, then this won’t be taken into account,” said Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the independent analysts R.Politik.

Polls show that Mr Putin’s approval rating has risen since the start of the war. It also shows that 68 per cent of Russians support the war, according to state pollster VtSIOM. The Kremlin is likely to blame the protests on foreign interference, said Ms Stanovaya.

Most Russians would also not see that their compatriots were demonstrating after authorities last week banned Facebook and Twitter, and shut down the country’s last independent-minded radio station, Ekho Moskvy, and TV Rain.

State news agency RIA Novosti published several video clips of small groups of protesters being detained.

It also showed a column of what appeared to be Kremlin supporters driving vehicles along the Moscow River flying Russian flags and those of Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine.

Russia has sought to control the narrative on its war in Ukraine, which it describes as a special military operation protecting Russian speakers living there. On Saturday, Russia passed a law that threatens anyone publishing what authorities consider to be false information about the invasion with up to 15 years in prison.

TikTok on Sunday announced it would bar new content or live-streaming from Russia while it reviews the implications of the new law. CNN had earlier stopped broadcasting in Russia, while the BBC and Bloomberg News decided to suspend the work of their journalists inside the country. Russian communication watchdog Roskomnadzor on Sunday shut two independent websites.

Since the start of the war, nearly two dozen independent outlets have been forced to shut down or have chosen to stop operations.

Thousands of Russians also have fled the country in recent days, as the rouble collapsed in the wake of Western sanctions and the economic future looks bleak.

The Wall Street Journal