Pro-Kremlin propagandists tried to convince everyone, including themselves, that the nationwide protests that began on January 23 had already fizzled out. However, the nervous actions of the security forces indicated the opposite. Even if the number of protesters had decreased, the number of those arrested had increased. For example, by the end of January 31, 4567 people had been arrested. At the same time, by the end of January 23, the number was only 3060. However, it should be noted that the arrests made on the day of the protests are only the first batch, and the security forces come for the rest later. This is what happened yesterday to Kamil Galeev, the author of one of the most popular Muslim Telegram channels, «Vysokaya Porta» (https://t.me/sublimeporte). Yesterday, January 31, security forces broke into his house and arrested him for 10 days for participating in the January 23 protests.
In addition, Maxim Shevchenko was detained in Kazan during a live-stream of a protest. He had come to the capital of Tatarstan at the invitation of a Muslim organization and decided to support the protesters. Maxim Shevchenko, a well-known politician, was released fairly quickly, but what happened yesterday to ordinary protesters in Kazan resembled scenes from Belarus, particularly from the notorious «Okrestina» detention center. Some people were thrown into the snow, while others were forced to kneel (see photo). Similar behavior by security forces has been documented in many places.
It’s not surprising that such methods provoke a violent reaction. In Moscow yesterday, there were already two incidents of literal burning — one where a police van was set on fire by someone, and the second where a protester set himself on fire. And yet, the next time someone decides to do something like this, they might not just set themselves on fire…