The protesters distanced themselves from Putin’s regime and condemned the war. Photo credit: Milan Votypka.
Prague, Sept 22 (CTK) – A crowd of several hundred people, mostly young Russians, demonstrated against Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia yesterday afternoon in Prague’s Wenceslas Square.
The protest was attended by 200-300 people, some of whom were waving banners supporting Ukraine, condemning the war in Ukraine and distancing themselves from Putin and his regime. They also carried banners and the blue-white flags used by the Russian opposition.
Under the St Wenceslas Statue, several speakers addressed the protesters in Russian.
The demonstration was called in response to Putin’s declaration of a partial mobilisation over the war in Ukraine yesterday.
One of the organisers, Denis Bilunov, told CTK it was extremely important for people across Europe with the same thinking to unite and proceed together.
Bilunov said that at the start of the war, Russian opponents of Putin’s regime and its war had founded the Prague Anti-War Committee, which tries to connect opponents of Putin and help Ukrainian refugees.
He said another rally was planned for Sunday in Prague’s namesti Miru.
Bilunov said he hoped there would be wider support from Russians residing in the Czech Republic. There are about 20,000 Russians in Prague, he added.
Public protests against Putin also took place in Russia last night. According to Western media reports, the Russian police detained over 1,300 demonstrators, mainly in Moscow and St Petersburg.
