Every Moscow protest is followed by an avalanche of such seemingly witty comments ridiculing its apparent pointlessness:
Moscow youth styling it outside H&M after a heavy day instagramming at the anti-Putin protest in Moscow pic.twitter.com/3fKaboDxKe
— Jason Corcoran (@jason_corcoran) June 12, 2017
This does seem pointless: go to Tverskaya, chant slogans, calmly go into the paddy wagon, take a selfie, rinse, repeat in a few months.
24 people with @ponny1 Maria Baronova carted off to the police station. Hundreds arrested across the country. https://t.co/3BNa0cR93a pic.twitter.com/JtFyW2OlS0
— Mikhail Khodorkovsky (@khodorkovsky_en) June 12, 2017
The non-violence to the point of meekness is another cause to ridicule protesters, especially when compared to Ukraine’s 2013-2014 uprising. But violently resisting police isn’t going to spark a revolution, the numbers just aren’t there. It will just get more people jailed.
People sporting the #ENOUGH campaign on Tverskaya street. Placards have been forbidden, activists have resorted to stickers and t-shirts. pic.twitter.com/1v5zH2tppm
— Mikhail Khodorkovsky (@khodorkovsky_en) June 12, 2017
You may have missed this, but a handful of people have already been jailed after the last March 26 mass protest for “causing pain” to police.
Revolutions happen when the time is ripe.
I’ve been at Ukraine’s 2012 post-election protest, seen riot police beat protesters. I’ve been at a court hearing jailing a Ukrainian on same BS “police harm” charges Putin jailed Russians that year. Nothing happened. Many thought Yanukovych regime was there to stay. In a year, the revolution happened and that regime was no more.
I do believe a revolution, not an election, will topple Putin’s regime. The seemingly meek 2017 protests are building momentum to that. And you know what? We are doing it well. In 2012, just one city in my region protested. In March this year, there were 2. Today? 5.
Chelyabinsk stands up against the "untouchables" – #ENOUGH pic.twitter.com/6mo4F9qpKc
— Mikhail Khodorkovsky (@khodorkovsky_en) June 12, 2017
Hundreds go out to protest in cities where protests were unheard of since 1991 – or, in some cases, 1917. More importantly, I feel like relative turnout in those cities is comparable with progressive places like Novosibirsk, if not Moscow.
Anti-corruption rally today in Saransk, Norilsk, Iskitim. Have you ever heard of protests in these cities? pic.twitter.com/hjPLNqo8fG
— Russian Revolution (@rus_rev) June 12, 2017
The social media generation is less affected by the capital-provinces alienation. We are closing this gap, making protests truly national. This is why Putin fears. This is why he arrests organizers and activists from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad and now Moscow. This is why school and universities hold lectures on the perils of protesting. This is why regime tries to coopt popular youtube bloggers.
A number of schools have promised to expel students for attending today's anti-corruption demonstrations. The number of arrests is rising. pic.twitter.com/uvbexs9HJx
— Mikhail Khodorkovsky (@khodorkovsky_en) June 12, 2017
After today, though, they know none of that is working. Fear and indifference are gone for good, and the discontent is here to stay. Sooner or later, this meek, ridiculed movement will be their end and they know it now. More importantly, we know it too.
Final note: on the much-ridiculed practice of Instagramming at protests. Well, guess what, they are millennials, that’s what they do. These people like being cool, enjoy getting likes. And in modern Russia, protesting gets you likes. Youtube views. Shares. Social capital. Post-protest selfies in paddy wagons (or in burger joints, if you are luckier this time) are a part of a new vogue. Protesting is cool.
Navalny has galvanized Russians against corruption robbing the future of #Russia. The number of young protesters is remarkable. 📷 @maxseddon pic.twitter.com/dE4MCzeTvn
— 🇺🇦Paula Chertok🗽 (@PaulaChertok) June 12, 2017
You know what’s not cool? The regime and a million of its mouthpieces treating you like toddlers who don’t know what’s best for them.
But those selfie-prone youngsters know what’s best for them: a new Russia where they get respected like citizens and have opportunities. Putin’s regime is not giving them said respect and opportunities. And this is why it is eventually doomed.
The slogan “we will be back” chanted as defeated protesters leave squares is often ridiculed. But you know what? We will be back.
We will be back, each time in larger numbers and in more places, and one day, Russia shall indeed be free.
[hr]More photos from the Moscow protests by Evgeny Feldman for the project “This is Navalny“:Related:
- Why aren’t Russians protesting against Putin?
- Russia and Belarus protests – ‘part of general crisis in post-Soviet space, Portnikov says
- Angry Belarusian protests – ‘prototype’ for similar actions in Russia, Kalashnikov says
- All Russia is now one big hot spot, regional affairs expert says
- Moscow hasn’t figured out how to cope with awakening of Russia
- Putin has as much to fear in Belarusian protests as Lukashenka does, Portnikov says
- Five reasons Putin has lost the younger generation forever