In Aleksei Navalny protests, Russia faces biggest dissent in years
From the frozen streets of Russia’s Far East and Siberia to the grand plazas of Moscow and St. Petersburg, tens of thousands of Russians rallied in support of the jailed opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny on Saturday in the biggest nationwide showdown in years between the Russian authorities and critics of the Kremlin.
The protests largely drew young Russians and did not immediately pose a dire threat to President Vladimir V. Putin’s grip on power. But their broad scope signaled widespread fatigue with the stagnant, corruption-plagued political order that Mr. Putin has presided over for two decades.
On the island of Sakhalin, just north of Japan, hundreds gathered in front of the regional government building and chanted, “Putin is a thief!” More than 12 hours later, as tens of thousands of protesters dispersed in central Moscow, some of them pelted the police with snowballs and kicked at a car belonging to the domestic intelligence agency.
By early evening, more than 3,100 people had been arrested in 109 cities across the country, according to OVD-Info, an activist group that tracks detentions at protests. Among those taken into custody in Moscow — and later released — was Mr. Navalny’s wife, Yulia, who posted a photo of herself in a police wagon on Instagram.
Vasily Zimin, a 47-year-old partner in a Moscow law firm who trudged through the slush Saturday, said he was protesting rampant corruption during Mr. Putin’s time in power. Taking to the streets, he said, was the only way to effect change.
“The cup is full,” he said, adding: “How can you say, ‘I can’t take any more of this’ while sitting on your couch?”
In Moscow’s Pushkin Square, people flanked in every direction by riot police officers chanted “Freedom!” as passing drivers honked their horns in support. Tensions rose in late day, with some protesters marching to the jail where Mr. Navalny was being held, only to be driven away by baton-wielding police.
By 9 p.m. in Moscow, the protests had largely died down. But Leonid Volkov, a top aide to Mr. Navalny, said that more demonstrations are planned for next weekend.
“Without a doubt this whole story is just beginning,” Mr. Volkov said in a live YouTube video broadcast from an undisclosed location outside Russia. [Continue reading…]