Protesters across Russia defied orders not to hold unauthorized protests and rallied against Russia amid a crackdown on opponents Sunday.
Why it matters: The arrest of opposition leader Alexey Navalny has united Russians from various backgrounds, including those who oppose his policies, to protest the authoritarian leadership of President Vladimir Putin, according to the New York Times. They are going to rally despite the police arresting thousands of protesters last week.
Riot police during an unauthorized protest in Vladivostok. Moscow sociologist for social and economic sciences Konstantin Gaaze told the NYT: “Navalny has sparked a Russian protest movement against the president for the first time.” Photo: Yuri Smityuk / TASS via Getty ImagesA police officer holds a protester on during an unauthorized demonstration in support of Navalny in the city Yakutsk in the Republic of Sakha in the Far East. Photo: Vadim Skryabin / TASS via Getty ImagesLaw enforcers in Moscow are waiting outside the Chistye Prudy subway station for a planned unauthorized rally. Authorities have closed stations and restricted movement in the city, the BBC said. Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP via Getty ImagesProtesters and police officers in Yakutsk, where the temperature hit -39 degrees Fahrenheit. Photo: Vadim Skryabin / TASS via Getty ImageRiots continue in protest in Novosibirsk. Photo: Kirill Kukhmar TASS via Getty ImagesThe scene in St. Petersburg before an unauthorized rally in the port city. Photo: Alexander Demianchuk / TASS via Getty ImagesPolice officers have a protester detained during an unauthorized demonstration in Yekaterinburg, in the Oeralberge. Photo: Donat Sorokin / TASS via Getty ImagesPolice in Novosibirsk keep protesters in detention. Photo: Kirill Kukhmar / TASS via Getty ImagesVladivostok police officers arrest a protester. Photo: Yuri Smityuk / TASS via Getty Images
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Editor’s note: this article has been updated with more photos.
