MOSCOW – More than 400 people have been arrested during demonstrations across Russia against President Vladimir Putin’s announcement. partial mobilization of civilians to fight in Ukraine, A police monitoring group said Wednesday.
The OVD-Info monitoring group said at least 425 people had been detained at rallies in 24 different cities across the country after Putin made the announcement in his address to the nation.
An AFP journalist in the center of the Russian capital said at least 50 people had been detained by police in riot gear in a main shopping street.
In St. Petersburg, Russia’s former imperial capital, an AFP reporter watched as police surrounded a small group of protesters and detained the demonstrators one by one.
Protesters were shouting “No mobilization!”
“I attended the rally with a plan to attend, but it seems they have already arrested everyone. This regime is blaming itself and destroying the youth,” he said.
“Why are you serving Putin, who has been in power for 20 years!” a young protester yelled at a policeman.
“I came to say that I am against war and mobilization,” student Oksana Sidorenko told AFP.
“Why do they decide my future? I’m scared for myself and my brother,” she added.
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/over-400-detained-across-russia-at-protests-against-mobilisation-ngo Over 400 detained across Russia in protest against mobilization: NGO