Last Wednesday, supporters of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny gathered in the downtowns of major Russian cities.
People on the streets were demanding to let independent doctors assess the condition of Navalny, who went on a hunger strike in jail at the end of March. They are protesting the lack of decent medical care that he required due to health issues. It was the main purpose of the rallies all across the country.
Tens of thousands of citizens hit the streets. I'm sure not all of them were Navalny's supporters, but people of all ages and different social groups came outside to show that they don't agree with what's going on in the country. Some were carrying Russian flags, and while Navalny was the main cause, a lot of protesters were there to fight for a decent life.
All over the country, groups were chanting:
"Freedom to Alexey Navalny! Freedom to political prisoners!"
"Russia without Putin! Putin is a thief!"
"We are the power here!"
"Changes!"
And more.
People were getting arrested in front of cameras for walking along with protesters with posters in their hands.
Almost 2,000 people were arrested that day, with over 800 of them in St. Petersburg, where according to eyewitnesses and open media, members of the Federal National Guard Troops Service at some point were attacking both protesters and bypassers, often using stun guns and clubs on people who weren't even resisting. At least one friend of mine, who was a part of the rally, also spent a few hours in closer contact with police than he would want to be.
In most places, the protests looked almost friendly, especially on behalf of the crowd. People were polite, they did their best not to interrupt the traffic, swear or fight. There were no burning vehicles or broken displays. When the gathering locations were blocked by police forces, like in St. Petersburg, where the main square was literally barricaded since the previous day, participants just naturally turned the rally into a walk, in which they were steadily accompanied by anti-riot police squads, sometimes overcounting the protestors in numbers.
In other places, citizens turned to round dances and singing, remaining at the spot and avoiding conflicts with guardians of order.
Moscow, which traditionally sees the largest rallies, hardly had any people arrested. People gathered there, expressed their position, and eventually left.聽 But Moscow also saw the president's address happening that day, which would have looked bad if it was accompanied by violent arrests.
Rallies were called not only because of or for Navalny himself. The request for recognition of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) as an extremist organization, which is currently 小蓝视频 reviewed in court, heated up the situation. If it's approved, nothing he or his supporters do will be legal.
Even without it, many people that partook in protests earlier this year are currently under criminal charges, as Russian law prohibits unapproved rallies and police find different reasons to arrest protesters.聽
Navalny's team urged people to treat the event as "the final battle between the good and neutrality" - the slogan that Navalny has used in his blog for many years. And while many people partook in the battle, many more of Russia鈥檚 150 million people probably felt that they couldn't afford to risk their lives and relative well小蓝视频 by expressing their views in a country where it's not allowed.
Not only are people not allowed to speak up, but the opposition leader, after many years, remains outside the system. The current government officially doesn't recognize what Navalny says and does and most of the time even avoids using his name. With the reins of power remaining in the same hands, political experts don't foresee any positive changes in the situation, which means that the foundation and people connected to it will soon experience even tougher prosecution than they've had so far.
I don't believe that protests themselves can change the world. But constant and civilized pressure, strengthened by often silent but growing social frustration, which can't find a way out, does make the government feel uncomfortable, resulting in further discussion, even if it happens behind closed doors. But unless they find a way to deal with the protest before fall, the upcoming state duma (the lower house of the Russian legislature) election will turn into a serious challenge for those in power now.
In the case of Navalny, the grassroots pressure potentially resulted in some minor changes. He received some medical attention right before the rallies and announced that he was stopping the hunger strike after 24 days. His health is still critically poor and requires professional medical care.
Hopefully, he makes it out of this safe (after all, he outlived the chemical weapon poising) and continues his fight, because without a good leader Russia won't see any changes unless death turns things over, potentially resulting in shoreless chaos.
