Russian
Russian hundreds queue at Russia’s embassy in Brussels to vote against Putin”, B92 World News, The Guardian , 2018
This article covers the protest action and the long queue that appeared at the capital of the EU. 400–500 people appeared at the Russian embassy in Brussels this Sunday to vote at the presidential election of Russia, most of them in the framework of the protest action “Noon against Putin”, which was called by the opposition.
Although President Vladimir Putin is expected to win the election already today, the Russians in the capital of the EU will participate at least to some extent by showing their attitude to the leader who was spending many years trying to shut down all protests against his power.
Olga, who came with her family, said she came to vote. “To vote against Putin.” “The action is a pure demonstration of disagreement with what is happening in our country,” she told .
Do you vote in support of the initiative “I am against Putin” or is it for another reason?” – Olga’s husband was asked. , according to which protests in support of Alexei Navalny were held in Russia.
The initiative “Noon against Putin,” supported by virtually all Russian opposition associations and Alexei Navalny , was aimed at motivating voters at Russian polling stations or abroad to come to vote at noon on Sunday and vote for any of the non-Putin nominees or spoil the ballot. In Brussels, it led to the formation of a line at the embassy. .Forced to wait for 30 minutes. The embassy is closed now. The employees have no words. Are you now demonstrating that you are in line at 12 noon.
People were openly happy and inspired to come together with so many others who share their dissenting views. Lots of them were taking selfies and sending photos of themselves in the two hundred-meter line.
My would-be candidates are absent in the [prospective candidates’] list,” said Kirill, a Russian poet-in-exile, with a sad smile on his face. “Still, it is extremely important to get here to establish connections.
Kirill, who came to the polling station together with his partner, child and dog, said: “I see that a lot of people send pictures of spoiled ballot papers with different slogans. It’s very cool. We all have to reconsider some values. I think this is the goal of these elections.
As Russia’s current president, Vladimir Putin was first elected to that role in 2000. For about two decades now, he has dedicated his efforts to suppressing opposition and reinventing Russian society in his image. Moreover, the all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sparked even more domestic suppression. A Russian political analyst named Sergey thus told Reuters while waiting to cast his vote, “Today’s noon rally against Putin is a good way to protest. At the very least, we have found like-minded people. In a situation where people no longer believe in nothing and no one, in the lowest point of disenchantment in decades, it’s a big deal.”