Thousands of Russian people have begun to push back against Vladimir Putin, as police made a number of arrests at a protest attended by massive numbers, and organized by a once pro-Putin party.
It comes as the war in Ukraine continues to impact the Russian people, and the resulting economic woes begin to dampen spirits.
Over the weekend, the Kremlin-friendly Communist Party held a rally in Moscow, as protestors chanted against United Russia and Putin, whom they referred to as “the tsar.” According to the Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti, the protesters also shouted slogans including “Freedom for political prisoners” and “For fair elections”.
Protestors also shouted “Down with the Tsar,” a slogan dating back to the early 1900’s, when it became a revolutionary slogan directed against the Romanov monarchy. The saying carries a lot of meaning in Russia.
The demonstrations resulted in at least 60 people being arrested, according to the party, as various posts on Telegram channels showed officers apprehending people in the crowds. The party said in a statement that its Moscow branch was working to secure the release of those detained, mostly young people.
The turnout for the march was said to be around 2,000 people, according to the Daily Beast, which included members of the anti-Putin opposition Yabloko party, which is also the only party officially against the war in Ukraine.
According to Pravda, police broke into the crowd and began arresting people after the chants against Putin began. Witnesses reported to the outlet that 26 of those arrested were from the Communist Party, and 30 of them were from Yabloko.
Protesters chanted ‘Down with the Tsar!’ (Image: East 2 West News)
The Moscow rally marked the anniversary of the Kremlin’s 1993 crushing of a parliamentary uprising, and it comes as Russians appear to be getting increasingly fed up with things, with regular Ukrainian strikes on their energy and logistics infrastructure.
Over the past year, there have been long lines forming at gas stations, with occasional fights breaking out through desperation, amid a crippling economy and a reported war death and casualty toll of over a million.
Russia’s current dictator was first appointed by Yeltsin in 1999 and has ruled the country for some 27 years. Over that time, the Communist Party has mostly toed the line with the Kremlin, although they have criticized some aspects of government policy. They previously supported the war in Ukraine.
In recent years, Russia has worked harder to quash political opposition and anti-war activism. The Yabloko party was banned in August by Russia’s Supreme Court from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections, which took place September 18-20.