Russian police have at times acted brutally against participants in anti-war protests. More than 100 people were arrested on Saturday in Moscow alone at a demonstration against partial mobilization in Russia for the war in Ukraine. In St. Petersburg, videos were published on social networks in which men in combat uniforms and helmets beat up protesters.
Citing eyewitnesses, the human rights portal ovd.info reported that security forces were using electric batons.
Hundreds of arrests
In the late afternoon, there were 289 arrests in a total of 22 cities across the country.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin wants to bring in some 300,000 reservists to hold the areas in Ukraine that are still occupied after the defeat of the Russian army. That led to protests in about 40 cities last Wednesday.
Dozens of people demonstrated in the Russian capital on Saturday in cold and rainy weather, a reporter from the German news agency reported on the spot. People in many cities protested peacefully against the involvement of civilians in Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Internal criticism of partial mobilization
Meanwhile, official bodies are increasingly criticizing the military’s approach to partial mobilization. The head of the Russian President’s Human Rights Council, Valery Fadeyev, called on Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to end the “club system” among many conscripts in the country. Even men who had no combat experience were given draft orders.
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.
