Volgograd activists demand release of political prisoners

Russia restricts civil rights and freedoms; activists and oppositionists are persecuted for political reasons, the Volgograd residents interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have explained their participation in the January 23 protest action.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 23, Russia, including its southern regions, hosted rallies in support of the opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.

Thousands of people came to the rally in the Volgograd Simbirtsev Mini-Park, mostly young people. Some of them remained behind the fence set up by the police; law enforcers would not let them into the mini-park. The crowd chanted: "Shame!" and "We are the power here!" The protesters spoke about the need to change government and release political prisoners. The police warned through the loudspeaker that the action was illegal.

Dmitry, a student and one of the protesters, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that "he had come out for freedom of speech." "If there are more of us, the authorities simply won't be able to resist. If we just stay lying on sofas, nothing will change. It seems to me that everyone has come here for his own purpose, because there are quite a lot of things that people don't like," the activist has added.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 23, 2021 at 06:56 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.