Via Twitter from the prison camp
Kremlin critic Navalny calls on Russians to protest
03/02/2022 12:42 p.m
One who has experienced firsthand the harshness of Putin’s regime is calling on the Russians to peacefully rebel against the war in Ukraine. Jailed Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny uses Twitter to try to get the people of his country onto the streets.
Already in the past week dhe was the Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was imprisoned in a penal camp turned against his country’s war via Twitter. “I am against this war.” And explains that the war between Russia and Ukraine is a maneuver by the Kremlin to distract from the domestic political problems in Russia.
Now he follows suit and calls his compatriots daily peaceful protests against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “Alexei Navalny called on people to protest against the war every day at 7 p.m. and on weekends at 2 p.m.,” said his spokeswoman Kira Jarmisch.
Literally, a series of tweets said, among other things:
“We – Russia – want to be a nation of peace. Unfortunately, few would call us that today. But at least let’s not become a people of scared silent ones. By cowards pretending not to notice the aggressive war against Ukraine unleashed by our obviously insane tsar.
I cannot, will not and will not remain silent when I see how pseudo-historical nonsense about events 100 years ago has become an excuse for Russians to kill Ukrainians and for Ukrainians to kill Russians while defending themselves. It’s the third decade of the 21st century and we’re seeing news of people burning down in tanks and bombed homes.
We see real threats to start nuclear war on our televisions. I’m from the USSR myself. I was born there. And the main phrase from there – from my childhood – was “fight for peace”. I call on everyone to take to the streets and fight for peace. Putin is not Russia. And if there’s something in Russia right now that you can be most proud of, it’s these 6,824 people who were arrested for taking to the streets – without an appeal – with placards that read “No War.” . They say that if someone can’t attend a rally and doesn’t risk being arrested for it, they can’t call for it. I’m already in prison, so I think I can.
We can not wait anymore. Wherever you are, in Russia, Belarus or on the other side of the world, go to the main square of your city at 2 p.m. every weekday and on weekends and holidays. If you are abroad, come to the Russian Embassy. If you can organize a demonstration, do it at the weekend. Yes, maybe only a few will take to the streets on the first day. And in the second – even less. But we must grit our teeth and overcome fear, come out and demand an end to the war. Each person arrested must be replaced by two newcomers. If in order to end the war we have to fill jails and police cars with ourselves, we will fill jails and police cars with ourselves.
Everything has a price, and now, in the spring of 2022, we have to pay that price. There is no one to do this for us. Let’s not be ‘against the war’. Let’s fight the war.“
Alexei Navalny is a Russian opposition politician, dissident, activist, documentary filmmaker and former lawyer and arguably the best-known opponent of President Vladimir Putin in Russia. The 45-year-old survived a poison attack in his home country in 2020 and was flown to Germany, where he received successful medical treatment. Upon returning to Russia in early 2021, Navalny was sentenced to more than two and a half years in prison for violating probation conditions. He is currently being held in a penal camp east of Moscow. Navalny holds Russian President Vladimir Putin personally responsible for the poison attack. The Kremlin denies the allegations.