The Russian authorities have notably carried out arrests on Pushkin Square in central Moscow.
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Nearly 800 people were arrested Thursday, February 24 by Russian police during demonstrations against the war in Ukraine in several cities of the country, according to the specialized NGO OVD-Info. According to this organization, at least 788 people were arrested in 42 cities, including nearly half in Moscow, where AFP witnessed dozens of arrests on Pushkin Square in the center.
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Dozens of protesters were arrested outside Pushkin Square in the Russian capital and at least 50 others in Russia’s second city as they shouted “No to war!”.
Despite the arrests and a large police presence, a few isolated groups were still gravitating around 7 p.m. local time around Pushkin Square, adjoining the main Tverskaya Avenue which descends to the Kremlin. Pouchkine Square was squared by the police, following a call on social networks.
The Ministry of the Interior, the Prosecutor’s Office and the Investigative Committee had all warned the Russians against any protest action. The Board of Inquiry noted that participants in rallies about “the tense situation in foreign policy” or clashes exposed themselves to prosecution. “We remind you that calls to participate and direct participation in such unauthorized actions carry serious legal consequences”he warned.