More than a thousand arrested in protests in Russia after announcement of mobilizing reservists to Ukraine

More than 1,000 people were arrested in various cities of Russia at various demonstrations against Russian President Vladimir Putin after his announcement of mobilizing 300,000 reservists to fight in the ukrainian war and face the failures suffered on the battlefield.

“At 18:36 GMT there were already more than 1,113 people detained in 38 cities,” said the independent organization OVD-Info who tracks arrests and has been declared a foreign agent in Russia.

The human rights organization reports detainees in Moscow and in at least 37 other different cities in the country after demonstrating in the protests organized by the Vesná peace movement.

The Moscow Prosecutor’s Office warned that organization and participation in illegal actions will be punished with up to 15 years in prison.

Disseminating calls to participate in illegal actions or to carry out other acts outside the law on social networks will also be punished administratively or criminally. In addition, appeals to minors to participate in illicit actions will be sanctioned.

In the capital there were at least 409 detainees and in Saint Petersburg at least 444, according to the same source.

In the center of Moscow, where there were hundreds of protesters on Arbat Street, the arrests by the riot police began as soon as the protest started, as EFE was able to verify.

The crowd shouted “Not to the war!” to applause, “Putin to the trench” and “No to mobilization!”. Others chanted “The police are the shame of Russia.”

Among the chants you could also hear “Life for our children”, referring to the statements of the head of the Defense Committee of the Duma or Chamber of Deputies, Andrei Kartapolov that the first to be mobilized will be reserve NCOs under 35 years of age and officers under 45 years of age.

The citizens tried to create human chains to avoid arrests, while the agents formed cordons to prevent the passage of the protesters, who intend to go down Arbat Street until they reach the Foreign Ministry.

Shortly after, law enforcement began clearing the area and pushing participants toward the start of the pedestrian street.

On the other hand, AFP journalists in Moscow saw at least 50 people detained in one of the central streets of the capital. In St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, law enforcement officials brought in a bus full of detainees.

alexei zavarky 60 years old, lamented the police response to the social mobilizations against the war in Ukraine.

I came to participate, but it seems that they have already taken everyone”, he declared. “I don’t know where we are going, this regime has signed its death warrant, it has destroyed the youth,” he added.

In a speech to the nation on Wednesday, Putin decreed a partial mobilization of Russian reservists for the offensive in Ukraine and stated that he was willing to use “all means” in his arsenal against West.

With information from EFE and AFP.

Source-larepublica.pe