The bravery of Russian antiwar protesters

Along with literally billions of other people, I’m impressed by Ukrainians’ bravery, principles, innovation, resolve, and even humor in the face of extreme personal risk and tragedy as Russia’s military brutally assaults their peaceful country.

I am also inspired by the thousands of Russians who have already risked imprisonment, beatings, and blacklisting to express their opposition to their unaccountable, inept government’s illegal war of aggression. So far, over 15,000 Russians have been arrested for exercising rights to peaceable free expression that are ironclad in the West—but Putin’s regime can’t arrest the entire country. In that spirit, I’d like to share a few photos from the media demonstrating the bravery of those principled Russians, updated periodically.

Please consider donating to the UN Refugee Agency or another organization working to reduce the suffering of Ukrainians as well as innocent people in other war-torn parts of the world.

нет войне

Original caption: Yulia Zhivtsova sits in Pushkin Square holding Harry Potter books with the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Zhivtsova has been participating in the protests against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [Article.]

Yulia Zhivtsova via NPR

Protestor arrested for having sign with only asterisks on it.

Epsilon/Getty Images Europe

Original caption: People gather to stage anti-war protest in Saint-Petersburg, Russia on March 1, 2022. [Article.]
Anadolu Agenci via Getty Images

It took eight Russian police officers to arrest 76-year-old Yelena Osipova, one of the last survivors of the Sieve of Leningrad. According to one article, one of her signs reads, “Soldier, drop your weapon and you will be a true hero!” [Source of still image.] [Video.]
Twitter via Fourals

Original caption: Children were detained in Moscow on Tuesday, after trying to leave flowers at Ukraine's embassy. They were carrying signs that read, "No to War." [Article.]
Alexandra Arkhipova via NPR

Original caption: A video posted to Facebook and other social media sites by Alexandra Arkhipova shows a young girl weeping as she is held in a cell. The girl, her mother and other children were arrested as they tried to bring flowers to the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow, Arkhipova said. [Article.]
Alexandra Arkhipova via NPR

[Article.]

People attend an anti-war protest in St. Petersburg on February 24, 2022. [Article.]
Anton Vaganov/Reuters

Original caption: Police officers detain demonstrators during an anti-war protest, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a 'military operation' in eastern Ukraine, in Saint Petersburg, Russia [Article.]
Anton Vaganov/Reuters

Original caption: ‘No to war’ reads this protester’s mask. [Article.]
Niko Vorobyov/Al Jazeera

Original caption: People march to protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in central Saint Petersburg on March 1, 2022. [Article.]
OLGA MALTSEVA, AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Original caption: Riot police surrounded the crowds in St Petersburg and made several arrests. [Article.]
Niko Vorobyov/Al Jazeera

From the article: A feeling of anger, shame and disbelief seems to have lit a fuse under Russia’s usually passive civil society.
Original caption: A protest in Moscow against the Russian military actions in Ukraine
Maxim Shipenkov/EPA

People attend an anti-war protest in St. Petersburg on February 24, 2022. The banners read: "I'm ashamed to be Russian" and "No war." [Article.]
Anton Vaganov/Reuters

Original caption: Police officers detain women during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in central Moscow on March 2, 2022. Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on March 2 urged Russians to stage daily protests against Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, saying the country should not be a "nation of frightened cowards" and calling Vladimir Putin "an insane little tsar." [Article.]
NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA, AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Original caption: Law enforcement officers detain participants in an unauthorized rally against the Russian military operation in Ukraine, in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday, March 2. [Article.]
Valentin Yegorshin/TASS/Sipa USA

Original caption: A protester is dragged away by Omon paramilitary members during a demonstration in Moscow on Sunday. [Article.]
Getty Images

Nearly 7,000 people have now been detained in antiwar protests across Russia since Thursday. [Article.]
Kommersant Photo Agency/REX

Original caption: Police detain demonstrators during an action against Russia's attack on Ukraine in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, March. 1, 2022. [Article.]
DMITRI LOVETSKY, AP

Original caption: Demonstrators shout slogans in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Shocked Russians turned out by the thousands to decry their country's invasion of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media. [Article.]
DMITRI LOVETSKY, AP

Police detain a demonstrator during an action against Russia's attack on Ukraine in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. [Article.]
DMITRI LOVETSKY, AP

Police detain a demonstrator during an action against Russia's attack on Ukraine in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Protests against the Russian invasion of Ukraine resumed on Wednesday, with people taking to the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg and other Russian towns despite mass arrests. [Article.]
DMITRI LOVETSKY, AP

A demonstrator wearing a face mask with an inscription reading "No to war" stands in front of a line of police officers during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in central Saint Petersburg on Feb. 27, 2022. [Article.]
SERGEI MIKHAILICHENKO, AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Original caption: Men take down a sign with writing reading "No War" which was hanging over Nevsky prospect, the central avenue of St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, March. 1, 2022. [Article.]
DMITRI LOVETSKY, AP

Original caption: A person carries a banner during an anti-war protest in Moscow on February 24, 2022. The banner reads "No war. Freedom for political prisoners." [Article.]
Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters

Original caption: A police officer detains a demonstrator with a poster reading "No war" during a protest against Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Moscow, on February 24, 2022. [Article.]
Denis Kaminev/AP

Demonstrators march with a banner that reads "Ukraine—Peace, Russia—Freedom," in Moscow on February 24, 2022, after Russia's attack on Ukraine. [Article.]
Dmitry Serebryakov/AP

Original caption: Police officers in Moscow detain a woman on Feb. 24 during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [Article.]

Kirill Kudryavstev/AFP via Getty Images and NPR

Via OVD-News

Original caption: Police officers detain a woman during a protest against Russian military action in Ukraine, in Manezhnaya Square in central Moscow. [Article.]

AFP