In Russia, Hundreds Arrested in Anti-war Protests

This is not the first time Russian citizens have protested Putin's ambitions for conquest. The image above shows antiwar protestors in Moscow in March of 2014. One poster says "Putin has polished his medals, looks like he wants to attack." (Shutterstock)

(France24) Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in the early hours of February 24, thousands of Russians have taken to the streets to protest against the war. Images taken by civilians show crowds of peaceful protesters being rounded up by the police. More than 1,500 people have been arrested, according to independent outlet OVD-News.

French journalist Benoît Vitkine posted a video on Twitter showing hundreds of people protesting in St Petersburg. Surrounding by police vans, they chant “No to war!”

There are many videos of arrests, many of them violent, taken the evening of February 24.

Crowds of people gathered in major Russian cities, including St Petersburg and Moscow, but also in Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk, in Siberia. These Russian citizens expressed their dissent for President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

People also began showing signs of resistance on social media. The hashtag #нетвойне ("No to war" in Russian) is among the trending hashtags in Russia since February 24.

There was a sense of fear. The police were running into the crowd in small groups to pull out some protesters randomly. More police vans were constantly arriving. If someone unfurled a poster during the protest, they would be arrested in under a minute.

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Story posted on France24 News