Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Moscow fury at ‘murderer’ Putin
HUNDREDS of anti-war protesters clashed with armour-clad police in Moscow yesterday.
The rally was mirrored by protests in cities throughout the world as news of the Russian invasion spread.
Angry demonstrators demanded an immediate halt to President Vladimir Putin’s bloody assault.
Violence broke out as the anti-war rally flooded the historic Pushkin Square, one of the busiest areas in Moscow. Crowds are thought to have attempted to push through a barricade blocking them from marching to the Kremlin, the official residence of the Russian president.
Throughout Russia police were said to have arrested as many as 549 anti-war protesters in 39 different cities.
Among the prominent personalities in
Russia who spoke out against Putin’s invasion was Yelena Kovalskaya, who is the director of the Meyerhold Center, a state-run theatre in Moscow.
Furious Kovalskaya resigned from her post and issued the statement: “It is not possible to work for a murderer and receive a salary from him.”
A journalist at the Moscow demonstration said protesters were being dragged away “indiscriminately” and said she was briefly detained despite repeatedly telling officers that she worked in the media.
Footage taken earlier in the day showed riot police marching through Moscow’s streets in anticipation of unrest from citizens.
Marina Litvinovich, a prominent opposition figure who called for protest, was arrested as soon as she left her house, Russian independent news site The Insider reported.
Locals said police appeared to be arresting everyone on sight after authorities said people attending unauthorised demonstrations would be prosecuted for public order offences.
There were widespread anti-war demos in cities including London,
Berlin, Paris, Stockholm, Oslo, Riga and Tokyo as the world united in horror at
the bloodshed.