Almost 1,000 detained as Russians protest mobilization
Nearly 920 people were detained at rallies held Wednesday evening across Russian cities against partial mobilization announced by the Kremlin this morning.
Of those detained, 394 were apprehended in Moscow, Ukrinform reports citing OVS-Info.
Many detainees in St. Petersburg – 376 protesters, as well as 40 in Yekaterinburg, 23 in Perm, 22 in Ufa, 19 in Krasnoyarsk, 20 in Chelyabinsk, 19 in Krasnoyarsk, 14 each in in Voronezh and Krasnodar, 10 each in Kaliningrad and Saratov, and below 10 detainees in the rest of the cities. In total, people were arrested in 38 cities across the country. Security forces used force against some participants of the rallies.
It is reported that in the St. Petersburg police station, law enforcers do not allow detainees to use the restroom, (which amounts to torture). In Kaliningrad, a woman was arrested for wearing a jacket with blue and yellow stripes. In Izhevsk, street musicians were apprehended.
The protest wave swept across Russia this afternoon, staring off with the rallies in the Far East and Siberia.
In Moscow, the police began detaining protesters immediately after the march began. The participants tried to create a chain at the beginning of Arbat Street in the city center. Some of the protesters chanted: "Life to our children" and "Put Putin in trenches." Soon law enforcers started arresting people.
As one of the detainees told the "OVS-Info" portal, more than ten people were put in paddy wagons. One of the protesters fainted as he was being detained. Among others, women whose sons are now of conscription age took part in the protest.
In St. Petersburg, about 50 protesters marched to St. Isaac's Cathedral. The participants of the action chanted: "No war" and "No mobilization." Attendees were surrounded by the police. According to "OVS-Info", protesters were beaten with batons as they were being detained.
People are also being arrested in Yekaterinburg, Vladimir, Tver, and other cities.
As reported earlier on September 21, President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, declared partial mobilization across the country, effective immediately. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 300,000 reservists would be called up for service.
After the announcement of partial mobilization in Russia, the Vesna movement called for an all-Russian protest action.
Jailed opposition figure Aleksey Navalny’s allies also called on Russians to take part in street demonstrations, also declaring that they support any form of protest, including setting fire to military conscription offices.