Russia: Opposition activists to protest in cities nationwide Jan. 31

Event

Supporters of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny plan to protest in urban centers throughout Russia Jan. 31. The largest protest will likely take place in Moscow, where participants will gather at Lubyanska Square from 1200 before marching on an undisclosed route through the city center. Attendance will likely be in the thousands. The purpose of the action is to denounce the Russian authorities' recent detention of Navalny on what they argue are politically motivated charges and to demand his immediate release. The actions have primarily been organized by a group called "Team Navalny." Additional protests, often involving a march, have been confirmed at the following locations:

• Chelyabinsk: Kurchatov Monument to Slava Boulevard beginning at 1200

• Kazan: Kamal Theatre to Kremlin beginning 1200

• Krasnoyarsk: Peace Square to City Hall beginning at 1200

• Nizhny Novgorod: October Cinema on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya to Minin and Pozharsky Square beginning at 1200

• Novosibirsk: Krasny Prospekt Metro Station to Heroes of the Revolution Square at 1200

• Omsk: Leningradskaya Square to Sobornaya Square beginning at 1200

• Perm: Komsomolsky Prospekt beginning at 1200

• Rostov-on-Don: Don Public Library to Gorky Park beginning at 1200

• Saint Petersburg: Nevsky Prospect beginning at 1200

• Samara: Zvezda Center to Glory Square beginning at 1200

• Ufa: Agrarian University to White House beginning at 1200

• Volgograd: Lenin Square to the Regional Administration building beginning at 1200

• Voronezh: Zastava Square to Lenin Square beginning at 1200

• Yekaterinburg: Youth Palace to Truda Square beginning at 1200

Further protests are planned in more towns and cities nationwide Jan. 31; participation will vary by location but will likely be in the thousands at larger actions. Furthermore, smaller sporadic protests over this issue are likely in various locations Jan. 28 through at least Feb. 2. Likely protest locations include central squares and thoroughfares, outside government offices, and outside the Matrosskaya Tishina detention center in Moscow, where Navalny is currently being held.

Authorities have not granted permission for any of the planned protests; furthermore, current coronavirus disease (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 Putin government. Supporters claim he has long been the target of politically motivated criminal charges directed against him by Russian authorities. He has spent the previous five months in Germany recovering after being poisoned with a nerve agent while traveling in Russia Aug. 20, 2020, in what Navalny alleges was a state-directed assassination attempt against him.

Navalny returned to Russia Jan. 17 and was immediately detained by authorities on arrival at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) for parole violations during his recovery in Germany. He is to remain in detention for at least 30 days; a hearing currently scheduled for Feb. 2 could see him sentenced to over three years in prison. Supporters maintain all such charges are politically motivated. Multiple human rights organizations and governments have criticized Navalny's arrest and called for his immediate release.

Organizers estimate over 100,000 people took part in nationwide protests over this issue Jan. 23. Critics accuse security forces of responding with excessive force during a crackdown on the protests, including over 3,700 arrests and numerous reports of injuries to activists. Regular protests are likely through at least mid-February, and large actions are likely following any significant developments, such as confirmed prison sentences.

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 Feb. 2.