"Anti-War" Protests Condemning Russia Erupt Worldwide from Moscow to New York and Paris (Summary)

Over 1,700 Detained in Russia

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 24th (local time), as Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an attack on Ukraine, thousands of people held protests against the Ukraine war in Russian cities including Moscow and Saint Petersburg, resulting in over 1,700 detentions. Protests condemning Russia's attack also took place in Washington DC, London, Paris, and other cities.

According to the New York Times (NYT) and others on the 24th (local time), citizens across Russia took to the streets and squares shouting slogans opposing the war. Protesters expressed strong opposition to President Putin’s decision to invade, saying, "We are shocked by Putin’s decision," "We were deceived by propaganda," and "Arrest Putin."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Russian law enforcement authorities warned that participating in unauthorized protests related to foreign political situations could lead to legal troubles, and they attempted to prevent citizens from joining the demonstrations. Police were dispatched to the scenes to disperse small groups of protesters, and some of the more aggressive demonstrators were detained.

The NGO monitoring political prisoner arrests, OVD-Info, reported that approximately 1,700 people were detained across 53 cities in Russia on that day. Over 900 were arrested in the capital Moscow, and more than 400 were detained in the second-largest city, Saint Petersburg.

Alexei Navalny, Russia’s leading opposition figure and Putin’s biggest rival who survived an assassination attempt, appeared in court that day and said, "I have no way to communicate with the outside world. I request that my appeal to this court and the world be recorded," adding, "I oppose this war. This war will take many lives."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Outside Russia, major cities worldwide saw movements condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Russian Embassy in Washington DC and Times Square in New York, waving Ukrainian flags and shouting slogans such as "Stop the war."

In Paris, hundreds of citizens gathered in front of Place de la R?publique, a symbol of the French Revolution, and in Germany, hundreds assembled at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, which was lit up in blue and yellow?the colors of the Ukrainian flag?voicing opposition to the war.

Additionally, protests condemning Russia’s airstrikes on Ukraine took place in Istanbul, Turkey; Lisbon, Portugal; Tokyo, Japan; and other cities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.