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In Photos: Russians Take to the Streets Calling for Elections Boycott

Jan 28, 2018 - 03:49 pm

Shortly after 2 p.m. on Sunday, Alexei Navalny appeared on Tverskaya Ulitsa, but was quickly bustled into a paddy wagon by law enforcement. Media reports that he is being charged with disturbing public order. Yevgeny Feldman

The epicenter of the protest was, once again, Moscow’s Pushkinskaya Square, where between several hundreds and more than 1,000 people came out to protest. Stanislav Krasilnikov / TASS

Teenagers, who have lived their entire lives under Putin, were among the most visible participants of the protest. Stanislav Krasilnikov / TASS

A view of Pushkinskaya Square from the air. Instagram @drone.nest

At least 243 people were detained across the country, according to statistics from the police monitoring website OVD-Info. Yevgeny Feldman

In Kazan, at least one hundred people showed up to the boycott rally, holding Russian flags, signs saying “boycott” and bright red balloons from Navalny’s campaign. Navalny Team

“Elections without Navalny are a farce,” the sign on the left held by a protester in the city of Omsk reads. Navalny Team

In Yakutsk, protesters braved temperatures of -45 degrees Celsius, according to Navalny’s campaign. Navalny Team

In Barnaul, protesters held signs saying “You choose yourselves!” and “This circus — without me!” Navalny Team

In Krasnoyarsk demonstrators braved temperatures of -30 degrees Celsius. Navalny Team

Red balloons dominated at the rally in Irkutsk. Navalny Team

In Russia’s Far Eastern outpost of Vladivostok, OVD-Info did not report any arrests. Navalny Team

In St. Petersburg, Putin's native city, hundreds of people joined the boycott rally but there were no major clashes with law enforcement. Peter Kovalyov / TASS

Russians in town and cities across the country braved freezing temperatures on Sunday to take to the streets in support of a boycott of upcoming presidential elections.

The rallies were organized by opposition activist Alexei Navalny, who has been barred from the March elections due to a previous criminal conviction, which his supporters say is politically motivated.

Read more about: Navalny , Elections

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