‘They cannot arrest us all’

It takes tremendous courage to interrupt a live state news broadcast with a one-woman anti-war demonstration in a country that has made such actions punishable with up to 15 years in jail.

But that’s what Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Russia’s Channel One, did last week — running into the studio behind anchor Ekaterina Andreeva, holding a placard in English and Russian which said, “Stop the war. Don’t believe propaganda. They’re lying to you.”

In a video she released to a human rights group before her protest, Ovsyannikova explained that she worked for Channel One herself, and through her daily work as an editor helped spread “Kremlin propaganda” for years, something she is now deeply ashamed of.

“Ashamed that I allowed lies to come from the TV screen. Ashamed that I allowed the zombification of Russian people,” she said.

The daughter of a Ukrainian father and a Russian mother — who “have never been enemies” — she condemned the “fratricidal war” being waged in Ukraine and urged Russians to protest.

“Do not be afraid…” she said. “They cannot arrest us all.”

The BBC reported later that Ovsyannikova had appeared in court, charged with organizing an unauthorized public event. She received a fine and was then released.

Ironically, as reported by the U.K. Guardian, it had been feared initially that she could be charged “under a newly introduced Russian legislation that criminalised spreading so-called ‘fake news’ about the Russian military,” which carries a penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment.

That Ovsyannikova was willing to take a chance and tell the truth is a testament to her bravery and may serve as an inspiration to others.

It’s also an indication of how dangerous it is to contradict the official narrative of Russia and shows the indisputable value of independent media organizations, which are being censored in Russia during the war. The segment of the newscast that Ovsyannikova interrupted was quickly replaced with pre-recorded footage, but not before her message was heard and spread on social media.

Such acts of defiance are occurring in both Russia and Ukraine, with cellphones and social media proving powerful tools for sharing unfiltered information.

In Ukraine, 100 or so mothers have been shooting videos of devastation and destruction in their communities and sending them to the outside world, despite the grave risks to themselves.

“I’m not afraid,” Anna Popovchenko, a mother of two, told NBC last week. “I’m more afraid to lose my country, my people, my friends, my relatives.”

“We know and we believe that the information is our weapon in this fight,” said another mother, who asked not to be identified.

Information is power, the old adage says, and in the hands of brave and determined people, it is a weapon with incredible reach.