Thousands Protest the Arrest of Putin Rival Alexei Navalny
More than 5,000 people were detained across Russia on Sunday
More than 5,000 people were arrested across Russia on Sunday during the second round of protests over the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Video from the day depicts police, equipped with riot gear and batons, frequently beating protesters before dragging them away.
Despite the government's strong warning against doing so, thousands of people took to the streets in opposition to Navalny's continued detainment. Navalny's wife, Yulia, was among those arrested. She was later released and fined 20,000 rubles ($263).
During the week leading up to Sunday's protest, the Russian government placed several Navalny supporters under house arrest, claiming that their calls for protests, which would violate COVID-19 restrictions, are a threat.
Navalny has made his name as an anti-corruption crusader and adversary of President Vladimir Putin. He was arrested on January 17 for failing to meet with probation officials while recovering abroad from an August poisoning linked to the Russian government.
Demonstrators in Moscow had originally planned to rally in front of the offices of Russia's Federal Security Service, the agency Navalny claims was responsible for poisoning him, but a heavy police presence forced them from the area.
In a press conference on Monday, the Kremlin called the demonstrations illegal and accused protesters of antagonizing police.
"There can be no conversation with hooligans and provocateurs," said Dmitry Peskov, Putin's press secretary. "The law should be applied with the utmost severity."
Russia's crackdown on demonstrators has sparked condemnation from international leaders.
"The U.S. condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities," tweeted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "We renew our call for Russia to release those detained for exercising their human rights, including Aleksey Navalny."
Navalny appeared in court today for violating the terms of his probation for a 2014 embezzlement conviction that critics say was orchestrated to keep Navalny from running for office. If convicted, he faces up to 3 1/2 years in prison.
When asked why he had not provided documentation to prison service officials as to his whereabouts, Navalny responded angrily, CNN reported.
"Why are you sitting here and telling the court you didn't know where I was?" he said. "I fell into a coma, then I was in the ICU, then in rehabilitation. I contacted my lawyer to send you a notice. You had the address, my contact details. What else could I have done to inform you?"
Navalny cited Putin's announcement that the president personally allowed him to be flown out of the country for treatment: "The president of our country said live on air he let me go to get treatment in Germany and you didn't know that too?"
Prior to the proceedings, police blocked pedestrian traffic in the area with barricades and detained dozens of protesters. Navalny supporters have called for further demonstrations this weekend.
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Look at all those insurgents threatening National Unity. It’s Danger to Their Democracy!
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She was later released and fined 20,000 rubles ($263).
That’s a knee slapper right there. Up to you to figure out the joke, but there are several to be made.
Now that the US is acting like Russia all yakov smirnov jokes are obsolete
During the week leading up to Sunday’s protest, the Russian government placed several Navalny supporters under house arrest, claiming that their calls for protests, which would violate COVID-19 restrictions, are a threat.
Coming soon to a blue city near you – – – –
Putin’s days are numbered. Now that Joe Biden is President, the US will finally be able to retaliate for Russia’s attack on our 2016 election — with military force, if necessary.
#LibertariansForGettingToughWithRussia
A mushroom cloud in the future I see.
Yeah, if anyone starts the nuclear war that ends civilization, those orders will come from DC.
Cripes, we can’t even conquer and hold Iraq and Afghanistan.
OMG, the Republicans on social media have infected Russian politics with misinformation, too?
Has Biden offered to send the national guard to Moscow to protect the Kremlin from these protesters?
“WASHINGTON—Investigators have made a preliminary determination that the police officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt during the U.S. Capitol riot shouldn’t be charged with any crimes in connection with her death, according to people familiar with the review.
. . . .
The police investigators have made an initial determination that charges against the officer aren’t warranted, the people said, adding that Justice Department officials haven’t yet made a final determination on the matter. The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington is leading the broader investigation into the riot and prosecuting the more than 150 cases that have resulted to date.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/officer-who-shot-capitol-rioter-ashli-babbitt-shouldnt-be-charged-investigators-recommend-11612222798?
They have enough information to charge 150 protesters for various crimes, but but they don’t have enough evidence to prosecute someone for shooting an unarmed protester caught on video?
This is horseshit. People have rioted over less.
It’s a “whaddaya gonna do about it” test.
It’s extremely easy to avoid being shot by capitol police.
That response fits sooooo many situations.
Trespassing on public property doesn’t justify shooting an unarmed protester.
The ability to ignore context is amazing!
Yes, this is just like someone staying after a tour or not leaving when told. No other details are pertinent. (If you are a cultist.)
They shot an unarmed woman in cold blood and DOL is shilling for them.
You’re actually evil, aren’t you DOL?
I’m just pleased to know that America is finally coming to its senses with the Biden administration. Now when some wanna-be gangbanger harasses his rape victim and ignores the clear instructions of a police officer, reaching into the center console of his vehicle, American cities and small businesses won’t have to endure several billion dollars worth of damage and loss, plus we may avoid several hundred serious injuries and even multiple deaths of unarmed black teenagers by the anti-racists.
And people say Biden isn’t a force for unity.
Coming soon to a city near you!
LOL
Reason really is shameless
Trump insurrectionists. I have little sympathy for them.
I know the stereotype is that Republicans are unable to see nuance and are only as logically consistent as is required for whatever the current argument is, but you guys are overplaying it. Too obvious to be satire.
Your definition of nuance is simply “how can I redefine words/incidents to protect the left.”
You still think BLM was mostly peaceful despite 2 billion in damage, 30 deaths, and hundreds of assaults. You support the murder of a white woman merely for trespassing above.
Factually, mathematically speaking, most BLM protests were peaceful, but I don’t think I’ve ever brought that up.
Weird red herring. Again, overplaying the “logically inconsistent” stereotype. Dial it back. Let’s try again.
De Oppresso Liber
January.19.2021 at 8:07 pm
R Mac, are you stupid? Or just disingenuous? Mother is on my do not reply list since she went full anti-Semite.
I have never said anything remotely antisemitic or racist, you lying fuck.
I want an apology.
“unable to see nuance”
What you’re doing is the equivalent of trying to see nuance in the Holocaust, you authoritarian prick.
Ironically (or not), the same left wing Democrat and media mob that immediately labeled Trump and his supporters as “violent insurrectionists who conspired to overthrow the US government” after Jan 6, have refused to refer to protesters in Russia as “violent insurrectionists who conspired to overthrow the Russian government”.
The notion that these chumps on January 6 were “trying to overthrow the government” is so absurd – Chuckie the Schu comparing it to Pearl Harbor. Even if that was the intent of those imbeciles (and it clearly wasn’t), how the hell were they going to hold the capitol building once anything resembling firepower showed up. ..10 cops in riot gear/body armor with automatic weapons and shot-to-kill orders would have had the place empty in 15 minutes, with “insurrectionists” running like ants from a stepped on anthill.
It was a bunch of assholes who were out of hand, some of them violent, all of them stupid. If that actually represented a threat to our government, then WTF are we doing bombing the rest of the world for natural resources? We clearly need those troops to guard the Capitol.
The USA is a failed state.
“10 cops in riot gear/body armor with automatic weapons and shot-to-kill orders would have had the place empty in 15 minutes,”
Over 75 million voted for Trump, yet only 15 minutes required to put an end to their demands.
“The USA is a failed state.”
It’s certainly on its way to becoming one.The passivity is staggering. It’s good to see that there’s still hope for the brave people of Russia.
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Democrats in the US are jealous. They want to be able to do the same to republicans and libertarians.
He’s not a rival to anyone, you dumbfuck.
Memes are violence.
So is silence. You lose either way.
But you don’t understand. It’s so simple really: it’s only wrong when they do it.
She was a part of a violent mob that was moving past the last set of doors between them and our lawmakers. That’s why she was shot.
Thank you for beautifully illustrating how important the racial aspect is to you, though. Very insightful.
So Stolen Valor now believes cops could have opened fire on protestors dozens of times in the BLM riots. Pretty light requirement for lethal force there.
“She was a part of a violent mob . . . “
She was an unarmed protester, and I haven’t seen any evidence that she was violent or did anything that justified shooting her.
A 200-man strong violent mob armed with an heavy assault fire-extinguisher, and six semiautomatic zip ties, against 2000 poor cops with only guns to protect themselves.
Do you not even see how retarded you sound?
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Yet to see you say anything of substance. One day…
When they set fire to occupied buildings, or attacked people with weapons, then yes, police should use all force required to stop the threat.
The fact that police somewhere else either failed to act or were told to use less force than what is ideal does not justify a violent mob attack on our constitutional republic.
She was told numerous times that he was going to shoot if they proceeded. You can see the other protestors take his warning and stop. She didn’t. Capitol police and secret service can use lethal force to protect their charges. And in this case they did. Well done.
Fuck off, fascist bootlick.
The crowd was a tenth of the size of the police, they were unarmed, and there were no elected reps in the area.
You’re making up excuses for the murder of an unarmed woman. What a sick, despotic fuck you are.
De Oppresso Liber
January.19.2021 at 8:07 pm
R Mac, are you stupid? Or just disingenuous? Mother is on my do not reply list since she went full anti-Semite.
I have never said anything remotely antisemitic or racist, you lying fuck.
I want an apology.
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