Russia: Opposition activists to protest in cities nationwide April 21

Event

Supporters of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny plan to protest in urban centers throughout Russia from 19:00 April 21. The largest protest will likely take place in Moscow, where participants will gather at Manezhnaya Square. Attendance will likely be in the thousands. The purpose of the action is to denounce the Russian authorities' detention of Navalny on what they argue are politically motivated charges and to demand his immediate release amid concerns over his health. Protests are also confirmed in the following locations:

• Chelyabinsk: Revolution Square

• Kazan: Millennium Square

• Krasnoyarsk: Revolution Square

• Nizhny Novgorod: Minin and Pozharsky Square

• Novosibirsk: Lenin Square

• Omsk: Cathedral Square

• Perm: Esplanada

• Rostov-on-Don: Theater Square

• Saint Petersburg: Palace Square

• Samara: Glory Square

• Ufa: Lenin Square

• Volgograd: Square of the Fallen Fighters

• Voronezh: Lenin Square

• Yekaterinburg: Intersection of Popova and Vaynera Streets

Further protests are planned in more towns and cities nationwide April 21; participation will vary by location but will likely be in the thousands at larger actions. Likely protest locations include central squares and thoroughfares and outside government offices.

Authorities have not granted permission for any of the planned protests; furthermore, current COVID-19 measures in Russia restrict public gatherings. Additional police will almost certainly deploy to all actions. Crowd-control measures, including possible movement restrictions, could prompt localized transport disruptions. Security forces may attempt to disperse activists forcibly who attempt to gather for the protests through the use of riot control measures and baton charges. Noncompliant individuals could face arrest. Violent clashes between police and protesters are likely; while bystanders are unlikely to be directly targeted, they would face a significant indirect physical threat.

Context

Alexei Navalny is a prominent opposition figure in Russia and an outspoken critic of the current government. Supporters claim he has long been the target of politically motivated criminal charges directed against him by Russian authorities.

Russian authorities immediately detained Navalny on his return to Russia Jan. 17; Navalny had spent five months in Germany following being poisoned with a nerve agent while traveling in Russia Aug. 20, 2020. Navalny alleges the poisoning was a state-directed assassination attempt against him. Navalny supporters staged a series of nationwide protests to denounce his arrest from Jan. 23-Feb. 2 drawing hundreds of thousands of participants. Critics accused security forces of responding with excessive force during a crackdown on the protests that resulted in thousands of injuries and arrests.

Navalny's medical team reports that his health has deteriorated dramatically while in prison, claiming he is now in a critical condition and could die within days. The protests April 21 have been organized at short notice in an attempt to force the government to provide Navalny with urgent medical care. Further protests are likely in the coming days; participation is likely to be boosted should Navalny die in prison.

Advice

Avoid all protests as a routine security precaution and to mitigate associated disruptions. Heed instructions from security services and leave the area at the first sign of a confrontation. Check local media sources for information on actions not listed above. Check public transport schedules and local traffic conditions for disruptions in protest areas before travel through April 21.