Thousands arrested in anti-war protests in Russia

Thousands arrested in anti-war protests in Russia. Demonstrations have erupted in dozens of Russian cities against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his unprovoked war on Ukraine. Thousands of demonstrators have been arrested, Russia’s interior ministry and an independent protest watcher said on Sunday (March 6).

Thousands arrested in anti-war protests in Russia

The watchdog OVD Information said 3,895 people were arrested during protests in 53 cities. The agency also said the actual number of arrests at police stations may be higher than reported.

Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said 1,700 people were arrested in Moscow and 750 in St. Petersburg. Walker said a total of 2,500 people, including the arrested demonstrators, participated in “unauthorized gatherings” in Moscow, TASS said.

Including the 750 who were arrested, 1,500 people in St. Petersburg attended such rallies.

In other parts of Russia, where 1,200 people attended rallies, a whopping 1,061 people were arrested, Walker said.

Videos posted on social media by opposition activists showed thousands of protesters in Moscow and St. Petersburg chanting slogans such as “No war” and “Shame on you”.

Demonstrations have also emerged outside Russia, including in India and Kazakhstan. Earlier, jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny called for worldwide anti-war protests.

In Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, some demonstrators warned, “If the war doesn’t stop now, Kazakhstan will be next.”

About 100 people took part in Vladimir Putin, a reporter from Russia’s independent newspaper Nouvelle reported. A demonstration in Divostock (Vladivostok), around 15 people were arrested. Some demonstrators held placards and chanted anti-war slogans.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty could not independently verify this information.

Russian authorities warned on March 5 that they would prevent any attempts at unsanctioned demonstrations.

Hundreds of people took part in the March 6 demonstration in Almaty, waving Ukrainian flags and chanting slogans against Putin and the Ukrainian war.

Protest organizer Daulet Abylkasymov told the rally that their demonstration was “not against the Russian people, but against Putin”.

Others warned that “what happened today in Ukraine may happen next in Kazakhstan”.

Some rally participants called for Kazakhstan to leave two Russian-led regional groups, the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.