Navalny movement scraps protest while digging for long-range

Instead, his movement will focus on the September parliamentary election, when his supporters hope to oust the ruling United Russia party loyal to President Vladimir Putin.

The rallies caused a repression of authorities as police beat protesters and detained thousands, including numerous top members of the opposition leader. The use of force has dared to confront average Russians who have moved to the movement on a dangerous path with the Kremlin, said Leonid Volkov, one of Mr. Navalny’s leading lieutenants, said.

‘Tens of millions of people watched in horror as [Mr. Putin] has shown that he is ready to defeat peaceful unarmed protesters with his stormtroopers, “Volkov told supporters in a video on Thursday.

Last Sunday, Russian police detained the highest number of protesters in a single day in recent history. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the next day law enforcement was justified because the protests were illegal.

The protests were organized in response to the detention of Mr. Navalny on his return last month from Germany, where he recovered from a poison attack last year. One informal poll showed that the broad discontent over the Kremlin protested on January 23 for the first time in their lives.

In 2013, after a judge found him guilty of embezzlement, Mr. Navalny liberated after his supporters campaigned for his liberation in protests outside the Kremlin. Since then, Mr. Putin has become less tolerant of disagreement, analysts say. At the same time, Mr. Navalny became a more powerful political force with international prestige, which increased the interest around street protests.

The decision to stop the protests reflects concerns in the inner circle of Mr. Navalny on the effectiveness of bringing people out to protest week after week.

In neighboring Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko – an ally of Mr. Putin – has been facing months of protests by protesters who say the election he won in August last year was not free or fair. Belarussian authorities detained thousands.

Mr. Navalny’s team watched as massive protest marches unfolded there, Mr. Volkov said.

Mr. Putin “learned from Lukashenko that you can hit people very, very, very painfully and still hold on to power,” he said. “It was an election that drove people in Belarus down the street. For us, our election is still ahead. ”

In the coming months, the team of mr. Navalny rather follows a dual strategy. The movement, which gained notoriety through online exposure of wealth and corruption in Kremlin circles, will help European authorities identify stolen assets and money laundering in the European Union.

At home, it will focus on the ballot box and the strategy of Mr. Navalny promotes to identify and support viable opposition candidates in races across the country to ease United Russia numbers.

“We must redirect and use the great anger and dissatisfaction that has built up before the election,” he said. Volkov said.

Although Mr. Putin is not a member of the United Russia, the party backed its policies, including support for a constitutional amendment that would allow it to remain in power for years to come, as well as support laws that tighten Internet freedom. and limited. free speech in Russia.

The voting tactics, which Mr. Described by Navalny as “smart-minded”, he has achieved mixed results in the past, and last year his efforts in local elections were limited to a handful of regions. But Mr. Volkov said greater visibility of the opposition coupled with growing discontent would help tear United Russia to pieces.

Some supporters were disappointed by the cessation of protests, although others said the movement could take its time.

“There are pros and cons, people’s emotions will cool down now, but if we’re really focused on parliamentary elections, it’s too early to start pushing for change now,” said Andrey Neyman, a 45-year-old entrepreneur in Kaliningrad. joined the protests. “We can wait until it’s May and sunny again.”

The explosion of public anger against the Kremlin came at a time when Mr. Putin reflects on his own political future. A large number of new laws and constitutional amendments last year gave him the opportunity to remain in power until 2036.

“The Kremlin has hoped for the support of the people to make this transition as easy as possible,” said Nikolai Petrov, senior research fellow at Chatham House, a think tank. “Navalny destroyed Putin’s game.”

Since returning to Russia last month, the protests have left Mr. Navalny and his group were given greater exposure in a country where state television either ignores him or considers him irrelevant.

The data from the independent poll Levada showed last week that the national attitude towards Putin has not changed significantly during the almost three weeks since the protests.

Sociologists say that confidence in him as president has fallen slightly, but that his approval is unlikely to fall below 60%, given the great political apathy among many of the population.

Of mnr. Navalny and his team can thwart the passive support is the key to the future of their movement.

“The resources available to the Kremlin and the opposition are completely unequal, and therefore Navalny’s people must use every advantage they have to outdo the Kremlin,” Petrov said. “And here their advantage is the ability to execute the Kremlin, which has become increasingly inert, quickly.”

Write to Thomas Grove by [email protected]