For more than three weeks, large demonstrations have shaken the city of Khabarovsk, in the Far East, 6,000 kilometers east of Moscow, on the banks of the Amur River. On Saturday August 1, many Russians again took to the streets of this regional capital of over 600,000 inhabitants, for the fourth weekend in a row.

At the origin of this historic movement: the arrest on July 9 of the regional governor, Sergei Fourgal, 50, a former entrepreneur accused of murders committed 15 years earlier, then sent to Moscow to be tried.

For many, this imprisonment aims to get rid of an overly independent politician, elected in 2018 against a candidate from Vladimir Putin's party.

"It's spitting in the face. We had chosen Fourgal!", Launches Marina Beletskaya, a 72-year-old pensioner.

A member of the ultranationalist LDPR party, generally loyal to the Kremlin, Sergei Fourgal had proved to be an active and attentive governor. Enough to ensure him a popularity rivaling that of Vladimir Putin.

"As soon as we elected Fourgal, the capital of the Russian Far East was transferred from here to Vladivostok. It is clearly because we had chosen an opponent," points out Viktoria Sakharova, 22, a saleswoman participating in demonstrations. 

In this distant region, as large as Turkey but populated by only 1.3 million inhabitants, the mobilization is indeed based on a tenacious resentment towards the federal authorities, considered contemptuous towards the distant provinces.

Added to this are economic difficulties in this territory with a very harsh climate, bordering China and specializing in the metallurgical, mining and forestry industries.

Daily events

On July 25, they were tens of thousands of demonstrators according to media and activists, when the police counted only 6500. During the week, hundreds of diehards demonstrate every evening.

The duration and scale of the mobilization are exceptional, especially since we are very far from Moscow, the traditional stronghold of the detractors of power.

While public television channels largely ignore the protests, the more independent media do not hide a certain enthusiasm. 

In a recent editorial, the Védomosti newspaper called Khabarovsk a "new symbol" of the opposition "of the regions to the center".

The discontent was also accompanied by slogans aimed directly at Vladimir Putin.

During the constitutional vote which strengthened the powers of the Russian president at the end of June, the region had also distinguished itself by posting a high abstention rate and a "yes" score 15% lower than the national average.

A new governor parachuted and rejected

To calm the protesters, Moscow counted on the appointment on July 20 of an interim governor, Mikhail Degtiarev, from the same party as Sergei Fourgal.

However, the reception of this 39-year-old deputy known before for his wacky bills was very cold. And for good reason, the person concerned has long said that he did not "have time" to meet the demonstrators and accused them of being supported by foreign "provocateurs".

"We should have chosen a local replacement ourselves. But instead we are sent someone who only knows about Khabarovsk the image drawn on the 5,000 ruble banknotes," scoffs Viktoria Sakharova.

In this context, and a sign of a certain nervousness, the authorities showed an unusual restraint, allowing the demonstrators to do so and only carrying out a handful of arrests.

This week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov even praised the police laissez-faire, as unauthorized protests are usually severely repressed in Russia.

"We are still afraid that they will arrest us", nuance Yuri Petrov, a protester of 47 years. "We are living in a democratic moment, but it will undoubtedly be fleeting".

With AFP

The summary of the week France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR