Human rights group: At least 4,640 anti-war protesters arrested Sunday in Russia


At least 4,640 anti-war protesters were arrested on Sunday in 56 cities across Russia, the independent human rights organization OVD-Info says.
In Russia, spontaneous mass demonstrations are illegal. There have been daily anti-war protests since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, and it's estimated that at least 13,000 protesters have been detained in 147 cities.
Videos of the arrests are circulating on social media, including some showing protesters getting hit by police officers with batons. The Washington Post reports that in one video, a woman is heard telling an officer, "We have relatives, we have friends in Ukraine." Russian President Vladimir Putin has justified his invasion of Ukraine by claiming it is to "denazify" the country, and the officer replied to the woman, "You come to support fascists?" Members of the crowd responded, "What fascists?" The officer then ordered his colleagues to "arrest everyone."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
OVD-Info says 113 minors and 13 journalists are among the people arrested on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Russia's interior minister said more than 3,500 people were arrested "for taking part in unauthorized rallies," adding that law enforcement will continue to target these anti-war protests.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Art review: Diane Arbus: Constellation
Feature Park Avenue Armory, New York City, through Aug. 17
-
July fiction: Summers to remember
Feature Featuring the latest summer-themed novels from Darrow Farr, Lucas Schaefer, and more
-
Why are flash floods in Texas so deadly?
Today's Big Question Over 100 people, including 27 girls at a summer camp, died in recent flooding
-
Ottawa Treaty: why are Russia's neighbours leaving anti-landmine agreement?
Today's Big Question Ukraine to follow Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as Nato looks to build a new ‘Iron Curtain' of millions of landmines
-
How drone warfare works
The Explainer From Ukraine to Iran, it has become clear that unmanned aircraft are rapidly revolutionising modern warfare
-
How far would Russia go for Iran?
Today's Big Question US air strikes represent an 'embarrassment, provocation and opportunity' all rolled into one for Vladimir Putin
-
Are the UK and Russia already at war?
Today's Big Question Moscow has long been on a 'menacing' war footing with London, says leading UK defence adviser
-
Is UK's new defence plan transformational or too little, too late?
Today's Big Question Labour's 10-year strategy 'an exercise in tightly bounded ambition' already 'overshadowed by a row over money'
-
How will the MoD's new cyber command unit work?
Today's Big Question Defence secretary outlines plans to combat 'intensifying' threat of cyberattacks from hostile states such as Russia
-
What are the different types of nuclear weapons?
The Explainer Speculation mounts that post-war taboo on nuclear weapons could soon be shattered by use of 'battlefield' missiles
-
The secret lives of Russian saboteurs
Under The Radar Moscow is recruiting criminal agents to sow chaos and fear among its enemies