Russian police press charges against an environmentalist in Kazan for disguising a protest as an outdoor yoga class

Police in Kazan have charged a local environmentalist with the misdemeanor offense for staging an unpermitted protest disguised as an outdoor yoga session. On August 17, Vera Kerpel led a small crowd gathered in the public square outside the building that houses the Tatarstan Government. The participants wore matching shirts stamped with slogans against the planned construction of a new trash incineration plant.

The next “public exercise” was scheduled for August 24, but police summoned Kerpel and informed her of the administrative charges against her. She reportedly refused to go to court for her arraignment, saying she felt unwell, and her hearing was moved to next week.

Is yoga the future of Russian street activism?

Perhaps not, but it’s no surprise that Russian activists feel the need to get creative when it comes to political demonstrations, where getting a permit is often an impossible feat.

On August 24, Moscow city officials yet again denied a permit to Alexey Navalny, who wants to stage a mass protest on September 9 (Election Day) against proposed pension reforms. Navalny says he’s nevertheless going ahead with the rally at Tverskaya Street, where he’s called supporters out for unpermitted demonstrations before. (Read Meduza’s report from one such event on June 12, 2017.)

Theoretically, things should be easier for activists in Kazan, where Tatarstan’s Supreme Court recently ruled that local officials illegally denied a permit to environmentalists wishing to protest the same incineration plant opposed by Vera Kerpel.