Protests against mobilization in Russia: dozens of cities, more than 750 detainees
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On the first weekend after the announcement of mobilization in Russia, protest actions were again held in many cities. In 32 days, according to human rights activists, more than 750 people were detained – a little less than after the announcement of mobilization on September 21.
In Moscow, the main protest on Saturday took place on Chistoprudny Boulevard. According to correspondents of the Russian media, the Moscow action on Chistoprudny Boulevard received less than three days ago.
According to OVD-info (recognized as a “foreign agent” by the industry structure), as of Saturday evening, the number of detainees was 752.
People began to meet around the time the opposition movement began at the exit from the Chistye Prudy metro station and in the vicinity. There were also detentions on Pokrovka Street, Pokrovsky Boulevard and Zaryadye Park, which were the end point of the observation of the Procession.
Videos are circulating on Telegram that police officers are dragging and detaining on the ground, beating with batons, and capturing one person in three or four.
A significant number of police officers were involved in the places of detention. In Moscow, on Chistoprudny Boulevard, a poster with the inscription “Do you want the same?” turned the girl in a wheelchair. According to the media, they did not continue it.
In the Zaryadye park, riot police stop at young people who appear at 5-10 people. The SOTA publication reports that a minor was found among the detainees in Moscow.
The detainees were taken to the police station. According to the detainees, their passports and telephones were confiscated. At about seven o’clock in the evening, according to busy time, a message appeared in the channel of the movement “Spring” that the action was completed.
According to OVD-Info, at least 374 people were detained in the city. At the rally on September 21 in Moscow, 394 people were detained by nine in the evening.
In St. Petersburg, where groups of activists managed to walk down the street with banned posters, the police also acted harshly.
The protesters gathered on Palace Square and Nevsky Prospekt. The first arrests were made on Sadovaya Street. According to correspondents, the riot police at some point began to detain everyone.
According to the newspaper “Kommersant”, during the arrests of St. Petersburg riot police used a stun gun. At the same time, on all the videos detained by eyewitnesses, there are at least four policemen for each detainee.
Against the backdrop of protests in St. Petersburg, activists were searched. The police came to the apartment of Yevgeny Zateev and Valentin Khoroshenin, who had been insulted in May in the case of “creating an organization that infringes on the personality and rights of citizens.”
Searches also came to SOTA journalist Victoria Arefieva, fem-activist Pallada Bashurova and activist Dmitry Martynichev as part of the “telephone terrorism” case.
According to OVD-Info, 126 people were detained in St. Petersburg today.
In Arkhangelsk, the police again forbid the townspeople to walk along the central Lenin Square – the square is cordoned off with all parties wishing to pass on other threats of detention due to the announcement of an anti-war action. According to eyewitnesses, police surveillance around the mayor was also copied.
Two hours ago, journalist Andrei Kichev was detained on the square – he still does not get in touch.
Detentions and actions took place not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg. According to the plan of the organizers, the actions were to take place in 62 days.
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News about detentions during surveillance in Novosibirsk (70 arrests according to OVD-Info on Saturday evenings), Izhevsk (21 activists detained shortly after detentions), Irkutsk (20 detainees), Tomsk (18), Perm (16) and other major cities.
In Tomsk, according to the Taiga.info portal, demonstrators gathered on Lenin Square in the city center.
“People did not shout any slogans, they were without posters. Despite this, the police and special forces detained people en masse,” the journalists write.
From Irkutsk and Samara, reports are being made about detentions of summonses of detainees at police stations. This is also practiced after the action on September 21.