Thousands of Russian citizens lined up today at noon in front of polling stations to silently protest against the excessive power of Vladimir Putin, whose re-election as head of Russia for five years is a foregone conclusion after a vote without real rival in Russia. a fierce dictatorship. Many therefore defied the Kremlin's more or less explicit threats and accepted the invitation launched first by Alexeï Navalny, then by his wife, to demonstrate their dissent against the regime. A choice not without consequences: according to the non-governmental organization Ovd-Info, at least 74 people were arrested in 13 different cities across the country for actions considered to be “disrupting” the elections. The polling stations will close this evening, after three days, at 8 p.m. local time: the last polling stations, in the immense Russian geography, will be those in the westernmost territory, the enclave of Kaliningrad. According to the official Tass news agency, the electoral participation rate had already exceeded that of 2018, a few hours after the close of the poll, standing at 67.54% of those eligible to vote.
The call for an anti-Putin demonstration launched today at noon by the dissident who died a month ago while serving a 19-year prison sentence in a penal colony was echoed not only in several Russian cities, but also in many other European capitals. From Paris to Berlin, from Astana to Prague, from Sofia to Yerevan, protest marches have formed in front of or near Russian embassies. And it is precisely in that of Berlin that it appeared in full Polden protiv Putin (“Noon against Putin”) Yulia Navalnaya herself, greeted with applause, hugs and a bouquet of yellow flowers. Navalny team spokesperson Kira Yarmysh posted photos and videos of the meeting, as well as those of the polling queues that formed in many cities across Russia.
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