A man arrested during a demonstration in support of Alexei Navalny on January 23, 2021 in Moscow.

-

NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP

  • Several tens of thousands of protesters gathered in more than 100 Russian cities on Saturday, a record for several years for unauthorized action.

  • At the origin of this call for mobilization, there is the main opponent of the Kremlin, Alexei Navalny, imprisoned since his return to Russia on January 17 after a convalescence in Germany.

  • “We see a very strong progression” of Alexei Navalny in the polls, observes the emeritus researcher Anne de Tinguy, specialist in Russia.

    “What has changed is that he is leading a frontal attack on the government and Vladimir Putin.

    "

From Vladivostok to St. Petersburg via the Urals, tens of thousands of demonstrators braved the cold and the bans to gather in Russia on Saturday at the call of the main opponent of Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny.

Besides Moscow, they gathered in more than a hundred cities in the country, usually little mobilized.

The authorities reacted with more than 3,500 arrests, a record according to the specialized NGO OVD-Info.

"Few people came out, a lot of people vote for Putin", for his part minimized the spokesman of the power, Dmitry Peskov.

But these protests are not trivial, as Putin is losing ground in the polls and is targeted by accusations of corruption.

Is the anti-Putin opposition reviving in Russia?

Toilet brushes and corruption

Leonid Volkov, close to Navalny, hailed a “historic” Saturday of demonstrations.

Nice blow for the main detractor of the Kremlin, imprisoned since January 17, date of his return to Russia after suspicion of poisoning.

"What has changed, with the Navalny phenomenon, is that he is leading a frontal attack against Vladimir Poutine, who has nevertheless done all he could to marginalize him", notes Anne de Tinguy, professor of universities emeritus attached to Ceri (Sciences Po International Research Center).

An observation that was again illustrated with the publication of a video documentary on YouTube, directly targeting the Russian president.

The sworn enemy of the Kremlin maintains that Vladimir Poutine takes advantage of a sumptuous property on the shores of the Black Sea financed by corruption.

A detail marked the Russians: the owner of the premises would have paid for his toilet brushes 700 euros each.

“In Russia, a grandmother's pension is around 200 euros.

These are numbers that stand out.

The population, which is confronted every day with corruption, at all levels, went out [in the street] to say it is not possible ”, explains Cécile Vaissié, professor of Russian studies in Rennes 2. Saturday , many demonstrators were also brandishing this object, in its most basic plastic version.

Daily life more difficult than before

This documentary has been viewed over 86 million times, largely by Russian-based accounts.

“They say that Alexei Navalny is not a major figure in Russia, because only 3% of Russians say they would vote for him.

In reality, this is a very important phenomenon because, in 2018, they were only 1%.

We can see very strong progress, ”says Anne de Tinguy.

But whether they are pro-Navalny or not, by going out into the streets, the Russians “show themselves determined to become actors of their destiny.

It's new, ”she says.

Especially since, in the country, the security context has strengthened.

“The Constitution says people can protest.

But, in practice, they have less and less the right, recalls Cécile Vaissié.

Moreover, for these demonstrations, all authorizations had been refused, these gatherings were therefore prohibited.

At the same time, the population has been getting poorer for the past ten years, while its standard of living has only risen since the fall of the USSR.

Impoverishment which even leads, for some households, to difficulty in eating, far from "the government's promises of raising the standard of living", notes the researcher.

Vigilant youth

Finally, “there is a new generation emerging.

Those under 35 are present in these demonstrations.

They are tired of seeing Putin, who has been in power for 20 years ”.

Because that is perhaps the greatest danger facing the head of the Kremlin, that of a new generation, more hostile to the president than the previous one, which is swelling the ranks of the demonstrators.

"In the polls, we see that the youngest, 18-24 year olds, are much less receptive to official discourse than those over 55 years old," points out Anne de Tinguy.

Example with the poisoning of Navalny: while 15% of Russians believe that the Kremlin tried to eliminate the opponent, young people are 24% to be convinced.

What will cause new tensions in the years to come.

It remains to be seen how the authorities will react if the mobilization continues.

“Popular protest is a phenomenon that frightens Vladimir Putin very much and makes him very uncomfortable.

In the logic of Putin's power, severity should prevail, ”said Anne de Tinguy.

The Navalny movement has in any case launched a new call to demonstrate, on January 31 at noon, "in all the cities of Russia".

World

Alexei Navalny case: Why did the opponent take the risk of returning to Russia?

World

Alexei Navalny case: EU considers sanctions against Russia to obtain the opponent's release

  • Alexei Navalny

  • World

  • Vladimir Poutine

  • Russia