Police in Russia have arrested hundreds of people who took to the streets to protests against mobilisation of 300 000 reservists to the Russian-Ukrainian war, according to BBC.
Mass protests started in Russia after President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation on Wednesday, 21 September. He explained it with the need to «defend the homeland, its sovereignty and territorial integrity».
According to OVD-Info (website that published information about those detained and imprisoned for political reasons), more than 1 300 people were detained in 38 Russian cities.
502 protesters were detained in Moscow and 524 – in St. Petersburg.
Dozens of people were detained in Irkutsk and other cities in Siberia.
On Wednesday, 21 September, the prosecutor’s office in Moscow warned that for invitations to join unsanctioned street protests on the internet people may be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
Protesters can be criminally prosecuted in accordance with laws that prohibit discrediting of Russian armed forces, spreading fake news about the special military operation in Ukraine or encouraging minors to protest.
Protests in Russia are a rarity due to severe punishments for spreading disinformation and police arrests.
Despite this, many people responded to Vesna opposition group’s invitation to join the protest the main slogan of which is «No to mogilisation», because the Russian word «могила» means grave. In its invitation Vesna wrote:
«Thousands of Russian men, fathers, husbands and sons will be thrown in to the war meat grinder. What will they die for?»
Later a video was posted on Telegram, showing Russian police arresting protesters across Russia.
People came to the Russian embassy in Warsaw, Poland, to protest against mobilisation in Russia, reports The Guardian.
In #Warsaw, in front of the Russian embassy, an action against mobilization is also taking place. Protesters chant “Putin is #Russia‘s enemy”. pic.twitter.com/8AyKqkraTL
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 21, 2022