Russia appears to be cracking down on protesters who took to the streets on Wednesday against the partial mobilization of the armed forces ordered by President Vladimir Putin. Immediately after Putin’s decree, young men tried en masse to leave the country and in the evening protests broke out in dozens of cities, with nearly 1,400 people arrested. Photos and videos show how they are towed in buses and taken away. According to reports from civil rights activists, the detainees receive their draft papers while they are still at the police station.
The civil rights portal OVD-Info counted more than 1,350 arrests in 38 Russian cities on Wednesday evening. According to this information, 556 protesters were arrested in St. Petersburg alone and more than 500 in the capital Moscow. The authorities themselves have not provided any information about the arrests.
In Moscow, people shouted “No to war!” or called for a “Russia without Putin”. Photos and videos showed how police officers roughly grabbed the mostly young protesters and dragged them onto the buses. From there, the detainees were taken to police stations. Similarly, there were major protests in the days immediately following the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24.
In Tomsk and Irkutsk in Siberia, in Yekaterinburg in the Urals and elsewhere, isolated people took to the streets. They held up placards in the colors of the Ukrainian flag and slogans such as “No to mobilization!”.
Prosecutor threatened 15 years in prison
In Moscow, before the demonstration, authorities had explicitly warned against participating: the prosecutor’s office threatened people with up to 15 years in prison. Since the start of the war against Ukraine nearly seven months ago, the Russian government has cracked down on opposition members and opponents of the war, including stricter laws.
From demo to military service?
At the police stations, the detainees were charged with various offenses, including resisting the police and discrediting the military. According to civil rights activists, the draft papers were handed over to the detainees while they were still at the police station, according to a video report on ntv. Accordingly, those affected could go directly from the street to the army and to the war.
300,000 reservists mobilized
In a televised address on Wednesday morning, President Putin ordered the partial mobilization of Russia’s armed forces. In total, 300,000 reservists must be called up to fight against Ukraine. The background is probably the Russian personnel problems in the war of aggression that started on February 24.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
