People defied police warnings and marched to key squares to oppose the military campaign. Some others risked being arrested in order to protest the invasion. Later, about 1000 people were apprehended.
Thousands of people marched to the streets throughout Russia on Thursday to protest President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine, chanting “no to war” and standing in solidarity with Ukrainians. On social media, videos of anti-war protests have gone global.
Multitudes of Russians took part in anti-war rallies in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other cities after Putin authorised Russian forces to invade Ukraine. People defied police warnings and marched to key squares to oppose the military campaign. Some others risked being arrested in order to protest the invasion.
“No to war!” screamed a crowd of primarily young Russians assembled with candles and banners on Nevsky Prospekt, St Petersburg’s main street. Al Jazeera cited a young woman at the demonstration as saying, “I have no words, it’s absolutely terrible.” “What is there to say?” says the speaker. We get a sense of helplessness and misery.”
“I feel ashamed of my nation.” To tell you the truth, I’m dumbfounded. War is always frightening. “This is not what we want,” Nikita Golubev, who was at a demonstration in Moscow’s Pushkinskaya Square, told The Guardian. The 30-year-old instructor questioned, “Why are we doing this?”
Police were dispatched to the scene as anti-war slogans became louder. “By 10.49 p.m., police had detained 1,667 individuals at protests in 53 locations, according to the OVD-Info rights monitor, easily the highest number since the jailing of imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s network ushered in an ice age in activism last year,” Reuters said.
Dissent came from unexpectedly popular characters like Ivan Urgant, one of Russia’s most well-known television comedians, who commented on Instagram: “Fear and Pain. “NO TO WAR,” says the speaker.
“History will judge and put everything in its place,” singer Valery Meladze said on Instagram. But now, I implore you to halt military action and engage in dialogue.”
Daniil Medvedev, a Russian tennis player, also expressed his feelings regarding the unfolding turmoil. “As a tennis player, I hope to promote peace around the world.” We play in so many different nations, and I’ve travelled to so many as a youngster and a professional. It’s difficult to take in all of this information…. He stated, “I’m all for peace.”
However, when images and videos of Russians demonstrating went viral, it gave people online a glimpse of optimism, as they praised them for their “bravery.”
