March 6, in photos Thousands arrested as anti-war protesters take to the streets in cities across Russia
Eleven days ago, Vladimir Putin launched an all-out war against Ukraine. Since then, there have been daily anti-war protests across Russia. More than 13,000 people have been detained at demonstrations in at least 147 Russian cities since February 24, according to the independent monitor OVD-Info. On Sunday, March 6, a nationwide wave of rallies was met with the harshest response yet — law enforcement officers carried out mass arrests, detaining more than 4,800 people in 69 cities. In some cases, protesters were beaten, grabbed by their hair, doused in water and antiseptic, or even tasered. Thus far, the rights group Apologia Protesta has recorded more than 30 complaints about police and Russian National Guard officers using undue force and less-lethal weapons against protesters. Meduza shares snapshots from the demonstrations here.
Moscow
Sergey Fadeichev / TASS
Vyacheslav Prokofiev / TASS
Vyacheslav Prokofiev / TASS
Vyacheslav Prokofiev / TASS
Yuri Kochetkov / EPA / Scanpix / LETA
Yuri Kochetkov / EPA / Scanpix / LETA
Traffic police officers check the documents of a driver with “No War” written across their car’s back window.
Vyacheslav Prokofiev / TASS
The scene of an accident in Moscow, where a police van carrying protesters arrested at an anti-war demonstration overturned. Nine people were injured, three of whom were hospitalized.
Ksenia Semenovskaya / TASS
Saint Petersburg
Valentin Egorshin / TASS
Anatoly Maltsev / EPA / Scanpix / LETA
Vesna Movement
Valentin Egorshin / TASS
Anatoly Maltsev / EPA / Scanpix / LETA
A man with a child being escorted away by riot police. According to OVD-Info, at least 113 minors were arrested at anti-war protests on March 6.
Anatoly Maltsev / EPA / Scanpix / LETA
Avtozak LIVE
Valentin Egorshin / TASS
Yekaterinburg
Plainclothes officers without any identification also carried out arrests.
Reuters / Scanpix / LETA
Donat Sorokin / TASS
Reuters / Scanpix / LETA
Donat Sorokin / TASS
Reuters / Scanpix / LETA
Perm
Rita Polishchuk
Some detainees reported that law enforcement officers went through their phones, checking their messages on Telegram and seeing what groups they belong to on social media.
Rita Polishchuk
Kazan
Egor Aleev / TASS
Egor Aleev / TASS
Egor Aleev / TASS
Egor Aleev / TASS
Krasnoyarsk
Andrey Samsonov / TASS
Andrey Samsonov / TASS
Kostroma
Alexey Molotorenko / 7x7
Tomsk
TOMSKPOLIT
Arkhangelsk
On March 6, the Russian authorities handed down the first fines under the new law prohibiting the spread of “fake news” about the Russian army.
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