Russians march to honour slain opposition leader
MOSCOW Thousands of Russians marched through Moscow on Sunday shouting slogans such as “Russia will be free!” and “Putin is war!” to mark two years since opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was gunned down outside the Kremlin.
Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, was a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin. His Feb. 27, 2015, death, in what appeared to be a contract killing, sparked an outpouring of anger and fear in Russia’s beleaguered opposition movement.
The memorial protest was the largest opposition gathering since a similar march for Nemtsov in 2016. Organizers put the number of participants at more than 15,000. The police, known for underestimating attendance Police detain a man who threw paint in a face of former Russian Prime Minister and opposition leader Mikhail Kasyanov, during a march in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in Moscow yesterday.
at political rallies, said about 5,000 people showed up.
“It’s very important that after two years people continue to come out and show their solidarity with the ideas for which Boris Nemtsov fought for and gave his life,” opposition activist Ilya Yashin, who was Nemtsov’s friend and colleague, told the Interfax news agency.
Demonstrators carried Russian flags, banners of opposition political parties and placards with quotes from Nemtsov, including “If there’s Putin, there’s no Russia,” and “Our only chance left is the street.”
“For us, Nemtsov represents free-thinking Russia and the democratic values for which we strive: free elections and no corruption,” participant Yekaterina Getgarts said.
Five men went on trial for Nemtsov’s murder in a Moscow military court last year, but no verdicts have been returned in the ongoing case.