Opinion | How Western reaction to Navalny arrest and protests fuels Russian fear of ‘colour revolution’
- The show of popular discontent indicates shared opposition to the state, with calls to liberate Russia and end corruption and violence by security forces
- Moscow and Beijing’s shared global vision will intensify their opposition to ‘colour revolutions’ and foreign interference, while reinforcing their friendship
The focus of protests has shifted to the central region with a concentration on Moscow and St Petersburg. The police came prepared as most public transport and dining locations in major areas were shut down. The police acted more brutally, resorting to stun guns and service weapons. The EU and the US deplored the “disproportionate use of force”, which Russia’s foreign ministry called “gross interference”.
Criminal proceedings against protesters are mounting. With police becoming tougher and in the absence of new sensational revelations, though, protests could fizzle out soon.
Western media have portrayed the gatherings as Russia’s biggest show of dissent in years, with estimates as high as 40,000 protesters in Moscow. Official estimates from police were far lower, putting it short of the 20,000 turnout at a 2019 demonstration.
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Russian police detains thousands of Navalny supporters during protests from Moscow to Vladivostok