Navalny's supporters head to protests across Russia in spite of looming crackdown
24 January, 2021
Supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny were getting ready to rally in dozens of places across Russia on Saturday (Jan 23) even while authorities vowed a good crackdown on protesters.
Allies of Russia's leading opposition amount - who was simply jailed upon time for Moscow after a near-fatal poisoning with a good nerve agent - said they would try the streets despite law enforcement warnings that unsanctioned general public events will be "immediately suppressed".
In the days before the rallies several key Navalny aides were taken into police custody for violating protest regulations and handed short jail sentences to keep them from the protests.
In a content on Instagram, Navalny's wife Yulia said she would join the protest in Moscow: "For myself, for him, for our children, for the values and the ideals that we share".
Navalny's aides urged Russians to become listed on the demonstrations on Saturday, promising financial help with fines.
In Moscow, which usually mobilises the major rallies, protesters intend to encounter in the central Pushkin Square at 2pm (7pm, Singapore time) and march towards the Kremlin.
The city's mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the demands rallies were "unacceptable" throughout a pandemic and warned police would do something to make sure public order.
STRONG ONLINE PRESENCE
Navalny, 44, rose to prominence around a decade ago and is among the most central number of Russia's opposition movements, leading large-scale street protests against corruption and electoral fraud.
He includes a strong online occurrence and publishes investigations into the wealth of Russia's political elites on his YouTube channel with five million clients.
Many Navalny allies this week published to public media to tone of voice their support and demand participation in the rallies found on Saturday.
Thousands of videos appeared on the TikTok software popular among teenagers, which includes become an emerging medium for Russians to tone of voice their political views.
Russia's mass media watchdog warned online platforms against encouraging minors to take part in the rallies or perhaps risk hefty fines.
The watchdog said on Fri that media platforms, including TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, removed content at its request.
Russia's most popular social networking VKontakte blocked groups intended to coordinate the protests in several cities.
The Russian Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said on Fri it launched a criminal probe in to the demands unauthorised protests.
ARRESTED ON ARRIVAL
Navalny returned to Russia the other day after five months found in Germany, where he was dealing with a poisoning strike that he says was ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
A hastily organised courtroom jailed the anti-graft campaigner for thirty days even though he awaits trial for violating a good suspended sentence he was handed in 2014.
Navalny faces a number of legal difficulties that could find him receive true jail time.
After his arrest his team produced an investigation right into a lavish Black Sea real estate allegedly owned by Putin, a claim the Kremlin denied.
The two-hour video record has been viewed more than 64 million times since its release on Tuesday, becoming the Kremlin critic's most-watched YouTube investigation.
Navalny's arrest drew widespread Western condemnation, with america, europe, France and Canada all calling for his let go.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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