Protests across Moscow ahead of City Duma election

Summary:

Feature bringing together reports and analyses of the protests held in Moscow in July and August 2019, following the refusal by Russian authorities to allow opposition candidates to stand in the local parliamentary election, scheduled for 8 September.

Further information:

Opposition politicians called protests in July 2019 in response to a decision by the electoral commission to invalidate a high number of signatures which would have allowed opposition candidates to stand in Moscow's City Duma election. Anger from locals led to some of the largest anti-government demonstrations held in years, which refused the reasoning of the public authorities to reject the candidates' applications.

A rally on 20 July gathered over 20,000 people on the streets of Moscow. Authorities refused to allow subsequent demonstrations - which were promised an even bigger crowd of protestors - on the basis that such protests included violence threats against the electoral commission. Several opposition leaders were later detained and given short jail sentences as a short-term measure to keep them away from protests. Among them was Alexei Navalny, which was later taken to hospital after falling ill during his stay in prison. On 27 July, police detained over 1,300 people following further protests, prompting wide international condemnation. On 3 August, 800 people were detained, including prominent activist Lyubov Sobol. A demonstration on 10 August gathered thousands of people and was against met with mass arrests and a violent crackdown by the police. France and Germany subsequently condemned Russian police crackdown on protestors, seen as 'excessive use of force'.

News

Deutsche Welle, 14/07/2019: Russian police arrest protesters at Moscow opposition rally https://p.dw.com/p/3M4TD

Deutsche Welle, 20/07/2019: Russians rally for independent candidates to stand in elections https://p.dw.com/p/3MMo6

BBC News, 25/07/2019: Russian police raid opposition ahead of big Moscow rally https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49110528

TASS, 26/07/2019: Police warn against calls to join illegal protests in Moscow on Saturday https://tass.com/society/1070569

BBC News, 27/07/2019: Russia protests: Thousand arrests at Moscow rally https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49125045

Euronews, 27/07/2019: Thousand detained at Moscow free elections protest https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/26/your-sofa-is-your-coffin-opposition-figures-urge-russians-to-attend-moscow-protest

The Guardian, 27/07/2019: Moscow police arrest more than 1,000 protesters ahead of election https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/27/moscow-police-arrest-up-to-200-ahead-of-election-protest

The Guardian, 28/07/2019: Russian opposition leader ill after exposure to 'undefined chemical' https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/28/russian-opposition-calls-for-more-protests-after-mass-arrests

Politico, 29/07/2019: Moscow protests pose problem for Putin https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-moscow-strikes-protests-police-raids-pose-problem-for-president-vladimir-putin/

TASS, 29/07/2019: Press review: Election protest in Moscow and Erdogan's rapprochement with Russia https://tass.com/pressreview/1070792

Euronews, 29/07/2019: Jailed Russian opposition leader hospitalized after suspected poisoning, lawyer says https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/29/russian-opposition-leader-navalny-discharged-hospital-after-protest-crackdown-n1035716

Euronews, 02/08/2019: Hundreds detained in Moscow protest for fair election https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/02/muscovites-vow-to-protest-again-despite-police-detentions

France24, 03/08/2019: Police detain hundreds at Moscow opposition protest https://www.france24.com/en/20190803-russia-opposition-defy-crackdown-protest-moscow-parliament-elections

BBC News, 03/08/2019: Russia protests: Hundreds detained during unauthorised demonstration https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49218726

BBC News, 03/08/2019: Lyubov Sobol: The woman driving Russia's opposition protests https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49205690

Politico, 03/08/2019: Moscow police use force to end election protest, arrest 600 https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/03/russia-protesters-detained-1445505

The Guardian, 04/08/2019: Russian police make hundreds of arrests at Moscow protest https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/03/russian-police-detain-opposition-leader-lyubov-sobol

Deutsche Welle, 04/08/2019: Germany calls on Russia to release Moscow protesters https://p.dw.com/p/3NJrV

EurActiv, 05/08/2019: France, Germany condemn protest crackdown in Moscow https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/france-germany-condemn-protest-crackdown-in-moscow/

TASS, 09/08/2019: Two other participants in July 27 mass riots in Moscow detained https://tass.com/society/1072689

TASS, 10/08/2019: Over 130 people detained for taking part in unauthorized rally in downtown Moscow https://tass.com/society/1072905

The Guardian, 10/08/2019: Thousands march in Moscow demanding open city elections https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/10/thousands-march-in-moscow-disqualification-city-elections

Deutsche Welle, 10/08/2019: Moscow protests pressuring Vladimir Putin find female standard-bearer https://p.dw.com/p/3NWge

France24, 10/08/2019: Thousands defy crackdown in Moscow's biggest protest for years https://www.france24.com/en/20190810-thousands-rally-moscow-opposition-protest-crackdown

Euronews, 10/08/2019: Russian police arrest dozens at opposition protests https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/10/moscow-braces-for-more-weekend-protests-despite-police-detentions

BBC News, 10/08/2019: Moscow protests: Opposition rally 'largest since 2011' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49305129

The Guardian, 11/08/2019: Russia accuses YouTube of interfering in its sovereign affairs https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/11/russia-accuses-youtube-of-interfering-in-its-sovereign-affairs

Deutsche Welle, 11/08/2019: Russia demands Google take action over protest videos https://p.dw.com/p/3NkGh

Reuters, 11/08/2019: Russia tells Google not to advertise 'illegal' events after election protests https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1V10BY

Deutsche Welle, 13/08/2019: Moscow court reverses Sergei Mitrokhin election ban https://p.dw.com/p/3NqaZ

RFE/RL, 21/08/2019: Putin Says Moscow Protests Part Of 'Preelection Tensions,’ Defends Detentions https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-moscow-protests-part-of-preelection-tensions/30121964.html

The Moscow Times, 21/08/2019: Russian Officials Condemn Police Violence During Moscow Protests https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/08/21/russian-officials-speak-out-against-police-violence-at-moscow-protests-a66964

Euronews, 23/08/2019: Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalny is released from prison https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/23/russian-opposition-activist-alexey-navalny-is-released-from-prison

Euronews, 31/08/2019: Thousands defy protest ban in Moscow and march against Putin's government https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/31/thousands-defy-protest-ban-in-moscow-and-march-against-putin-s-government

RFE/RL, 31/08/2019: Thousands March In Moscow Protest Defying Authorities https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-s-liberals-vow-to-push-forward-with-moscow-protests-amid-warnings/30139130.html

The Moscow Times, 31/08/2019: Trying to Maintain Momentum as Election Approaches, Moscow Protests Again https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/08/31/trying-to-maintain-momentum-as-election-approaches-moscow-protests-again-a67098

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Commentary and Analysis

Wikipedia: 2019 Moscow City Duma election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Moscow_City_Duma_election

Deutsche Welle, 29/07/2019: The Kremlin fears its own people https://p.dw.com/p/3MtNy

OSW: Analyses, 29/07/2019: New political protests in Moscow and the government’s harsh response https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2019-07-29/new-political-protests-moscow-and-governments-harsh-response

The Guardian, 04/08/2019: 'We have to fight for our rights': is Russia ready to defy Putin? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/04/moscow-protests-police-crackdown-putin-russia

Euro|topics, August 2019: Mass arrests in Moscow in run-up to election https://www.eurotopics.net/en/223613/

BBC News, 07/08/2019: Olga Misik: Russia’s ‘Tiananmen teen’ protester on front line https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49243745

Deustche Welle, 11/08/2019: Growing discontent in Moscow poses challenge to Kremlin https://p.dw.com/p/3Niyh

The Guardian, 12/08/2019: Moscow’s peaceful protests enrage the Kremlin because its only tool is violence https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/12/moscow-peaceful-protests-kremlin-violence-opposition

openDemocracy: ODR, 12/08/2019: The chilly Moscow summer of 2019 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/chilly-moscow-summer-2019/

BBC News, 13/08/2019: Moscow protests: What's behind the rallies in Russia? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-49323740/moscow-protests-what-s-behind-the-rallies-in-russia

Euro|topics, August 2019: Can the Moscow protests put real pressure on Putin? https://www.eurotopics.net/en/224969/

The Economist, 15/08/2019: Protests in Moscow show that Putin’s critics are getting stronger https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/08/15/protests-in-moscow-show-that-putins-critics-are-getting-stronger

Chatham House: Expert Comment, 16/08/2019: Protests in Russia Show How the Political Environment Has Changed https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/protests-russia-show-how-political-environment-has-changed

OSW: Analyses, 21/08/2019: Russia: the rise and fall of the summer protests https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2019-08-21/russia-rise-and-fall-summer-protests

BBC News, 29/08/2019: Moscow protests: Students challenging arrest in Putin's Russia https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49446736

Euro|topics, September 2019: Moscow: prison sentences for demonstrators https://www.eurotopics.net/en/226332/

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