Hundreds detained by riot police in anti-war protests across Moscow

Russian police detained 211 people on Saturday at protests against Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, an NGO has reported.

Police detain a woman during a protest in Moscow’s Zaryadye Park, a short distance from the Kremlin, on Saturday. Picture: AFP

Russian police detained 211 people on Saturday at protests against Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, an NGO has reported.

OVD-Info said police had detained at least 211 people during demonstrations in 17 cities.

In occupied Ukraine, Russian forces were accused of opening fire on peaceful demonstrators, injuring four with “severe burns” in the southern city of Enerhodar.

Russian troops took control of the city, the site of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, in early March. “Today in Enerhodar, city residents gathered again for a rally in support of Ukraine, singing the anthem,” Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Lyudmyla Denisova, said on Telegram on Saturday.

“The occupiers used light and noise grenades and opened mortar fire on the residents, four people were injured and severely burned.”

An Agence France-Presse journalist in Moscow witnessed more than 20 people detained by riot police under heavy snowfall in the capital’s central Zaryadye Park, a short distance from the Kremlin.

Police escorted away people sitting on park benches or just standing around without explaining the reasons for the detention.

Police officers detain a participant in an anti-war rally in Gorky Park. Police in Kyrgyzstan detained around 20 activists who defied court bans on rallies opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Picture: AFP

One of the detained women held a bouquet of white tulips, while another several times exclaimed “No to war in Ukraine!” as she was being taken away.

A national sit-in on Saturday against what Moscow calls its “military operation” in Ukraine was announced on social media by activists in around 30 Russian cities. The organisers said they wanted to protest “the collapse of (Russia’s) economy”, against President Vladimir Putin and to demand freedom for jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

“Russia deserves peace, democracy and prosperity,” they said.

In Russia’s second city, Saint Petersburg, there were multiple arrests near the Legislative Assembly where around 40 people gathered, although it was unclear how many were there to protest.

“Nobody will come, all the active ones were detained at previous protests,” said 30-year-old Sergei Gorelov, who came to “take a look and show support if necessary”.

“I just came to stand around, to somehow express my protest to everything that is happening. It’s scary to protest actively,” Galina Sedova, 50, said at the scene.

Protesters risk fines and prison sentences by taking to the streets. OVD-Info says more than 15,000 have been detained at rallies across the country to protest the invasion launched on February 24.

AFP