MOSCOW, Feb 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 3,000 Russians have been detained for holding anti-war protests since President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine three days ago, an independent monitor said.
“In the last 3 days, at least 3,052 people were arrested,” the independent OVD-info monitor that keeps tracks of arrests during protests said on Twitter. It said 467 people were arreted in 34 cities on Saturday alone.
The police detained at least 1,967 people on Feb 24, 634 on Feb 25 and 492 on Feb 26, added the group.
“Protests against Russia’s military operations in Ukraine continue in cities across Russia. According to OVD-Info (recognized as a foreign agent), more than 468 protesters have been detained in 34 cities of the country so far. The total number of detainees in three days exceeds 3,000 people,” tweeted Bot Tak TV and retweeted by OVD-Info Monitor.
Protests were seen in cities across Russia, where thousands of people defied police threats to take to central squares and protest against the military operations announced by President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.
Demonstrators also gathered outside the White House in the US on Friday for a rally that followed hours of demonstrations outside the Russian embassy throughout the day.
“To publicly protest against President Putin and his war is a deeply courageous act. Their actions show the world that despite the Kremlin’s propaganda, there are Russians who profoundly disagree with what he (Putin) is doing in Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki had said on Thursday. — NNN-AGENCIES
