Alexei Navalny: Widow urges Russians to protest on election day
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has issued a call for a protest on election day against President Vladimir Putin.
As part of the protest, Navalnaya has urged people to form lengthy queues at polling stations on March 17th at noon, stating in a video message, “We need to utilize election day to demonstrate our presence and our numbers.”
Navalnaya’s husband tragically passed away at a Russian penal colony on February 16th, with her holding Mr. Putin responsible for his demise.
Her proposal for a protest on polling day has been dubbed “Midday against Putin.”
The Russian presidential election, which most international observers doubt will be conducted freely or fairly, is scheduled for March 15th to 17th, with Putin widely anticipated to secure a fifth term in office.
Navalnaya emphasized that gathering at polling stations simultaneously is a “very straightforward and safe action” that cannot be prohibited by the authorities. She believes it will enable like-minded individuals to “realize our collective strength.”
Navalnaya encouraged people to cast their vote for any candidate other than President Putin, spoil their ballot, or write “Navalny” prominently on it.
The concept of a midday rendezvous at polling stations was initially proposed by Navalny himself two weeks before his passing.
Navalny – who continued to keep up a social media presence from jail through messages posted by his lawyers – wrote on X that the election day protest had the chance to be a real “all-Russian protest action… available to everyone, everywhere.”
“Millions will be able to take part in it. And tens of millions will witness it,” Navalny wrote.
Navalny himself was barred from running in the 2018 presidential vote because of an embezzlement conviction widely condemned as politically motivated.
He died while serving a lengthy prison sentence on politically motivated charges.
The Kremlin has said the 47-year-old died of natural causes, but his supporters and many foreign leaders have blamed Mr Putin for his fate.
Ms Navalnaya stepped into the political spotlight soon after husband’s death was announced, and has since addressed the European Parliament and held talks with US President Joe Biden.
In her YouTube message, she spoke of being heartened by the large crowds that came out last week for her husband’s funeral in Moscow.
Since last Friday, thousands of people have continued to turn up to Borisovskoye Cemetery, and Navalny’s grave has been submerged by flowers. “I can’t tell you how much that has meant to me,” Ms Navalnaya said.
“Alexei dreamed of the beautiful Russia of the future – and that is you,” she added.
