Several hundred people gathered spontaneously tonight in squares in Warsaw, Vilnius and Berlin to honor Alexei Navalnyhim Russian dissident who died today in prison.
At the Warsaw demonstration outside the Russian embassy, hundreds of people participated, mostly young peoplewho said they were upset by the death of the leader of the Russian opposition.
Denislan, a 29-year-old Russian man who declined to give his last name, explained that he went to protest for “political assassinations” and for considering Navalny “a symbol of Russian civil society”. “I am here because Russia should and could be a democratic country,” he said in a trembling voice. Some lit candles or left flowers on the railings around the heavily guarded Russian embassy building.
“The workers here are equally responsible for Navalny's death,” said Natalia Kodel, a Russian woman who fled her country in protest of the war in Ukraine. The protesters chanted slogans such as “Putin is a murderer” and “We never forget, we never forgive.”
In Lithuania, hundreds of people holding portraits of Navalny gathered at the memorial to the victims of the Soviet occupation. A Russian woman who has lived in the country for a year said Navalny was “a man who spoke his mind and gave her hope.”. “Even from his prison, he managed to find strength and bring hope to those who resist,” he said.
In the afternoon, a large crowd gathered outside the Russian embassy on Berlin's Uder den Linden boulevard, chanting slogans such as “Putin is a murderer” and “Putin in The Hague”. The demonstrators were mostly Russian-speaking and held placards with insulting slogans about the Russian president or pictures of Navalny.
In the embassy, as well as in the neighboring building complex of the Russian airline Aeroflot, all lights were off. “It's a tough blow on an emotional level. We are awaiting official confirmation from the family.”, Yevgeny Sirokin, the coordinator of the “Free Navalny” movement in Germany, told AFP. “This motivates us to continue working. We are fighting against Putin,” added Sirokin, 43, holding a large black-and-white portrait of Navalny.
Behind him, flowers, lit candles and photos of Alexei Navalny proliferated on the pavement. “I feel completely empty. I'm not much of an activist, but I take this very seriously. This news just took my breath away,” said Mikhail Filipov, 40, who fled Russia with his son, 21, to avoid being drafted.
“They killed him, there is no doubt about it. To me, this is horrible, on a personal level. It is a sign that we have lost our compass” said Marat Gelman, 63, a well-known Russian collector and Kremlin critic now based in Berlin. “One hero must be replaced by a hundred other heroes. Others should raise their heads and say: I'm not afraid. I really hope that people will be inspired by the life and death of Alexei and this will push them to serve the country,” he added.
Source: News Beast
With 6 years of experience, I bring to the table captivating and informative writing in the world news category. My expertise covers a range of industries, including tourism, technology, forex and stocks. From brief social media posts to in-depth articles, I am dedicated to creating compelling content for various platforms.
