Protests Against Ukraine Invasion Continue in Russia... "1,700 Detained"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 24th (local time), as Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an attack on Ukraine, thousands of people held protests against the Ukraine war in Russian cities including Moscow and Saint Petersburg, with more than 1,700 people detained.

According to the New York Times (NYT) and others on the 24th (local time), citizens across Russia took to the streets and squares shouting slogans opposing the war. Protesters expressed strong opposition to President Putin’s decision to invade, saying, "I am shocked by Putin’s decision," "We were deceived by propaganda," and "Arrest Putin."

Russian law enforcement authorities warned that participating in unauthorized protests related to foreign political situations could lead to legal troubles, and they attempted to prevent citizens from joining the demonstrations. Police were dispatched to the scenes to disperse small groups of protesters, and some of the more aggressive demonstrators were detained.

The NGO monitoring political prisoner arrests, OVD-Info, reported that about 1,700 people were detained across 53 cities in Russia on that day. Over 900 people were arrested in the capital Moscow, and more than 400 were detained in the second-largest city, Saint Petersburg.

Alexei Navalny, Putin’s biggest political opponent and a Russian opposition leader who survived an assassination attempt, appeared in court that day and said, "I have no way to communicate with the outside world. I request that my appeal to this court and the world be recorded," adding, "I oppose this war. This war will take many lives."