Russians stage flashmobs to support Navalny
MOSCOW: Residents of Moscow and Saint Petersburg on Sunday staged Valentine Day’s flashmobs in residential courtyards and public squares, lighting their phone flashlights in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
Supporters of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic took to the streets in freezing temperatures following his team’s call to stage 15-minute rallies and post pictures of the gatherings on social media on Sunday evening.
At a playground in southwestern Moscow around 30 people gathered – some with dogs, others with children – lighting flashlights and arranging Christmas lights in the shape of a heart on the snow-covered ground.
Protester Mikhail Orlov said he joined the playground flashmob to signal his unhappiness with Putin’s policies.
“The country is in decay, science is in decay,” the 29-yearold engineer told AFP.
Orlov said he saw like-minded people lighting flashlights in their windows in a gesture of solidarity.
Orlov’s wife Maria said she was beginning to consider whether they needed to leave Russia. “I don’t feel protected here,” she said.
In Saint Petersburg, proNavalny supporters also gathered in small groups, with some dancing and chanting “Russia will be free.”
Navalny’s team released pictures and videos of similar gatherings from cities across the country, with Russians lighting flashlights, sparklers and small lanterns.
In Saint Petersburg, around 100 women formed a chain near a monument to victims of political repression.
Some clutched flowers, while others recited poems by Anna Akhmatova, one of Russia’s most beloved poets. — AFP