[103], 4,002 people across the country were detained that day with over 1,500 of them in Moscow, according to OVD-Info.[34][35]. [203], According to a poll by the Levada Center carried out from 29 January to 2 February 2021, 21% of Russian respondents said they followed the protests closely, 59% said they heard about it, and 19% said they did not hear anything about it. [35], Estimates of the number of protesters in Perm varied between 3,000 and 10,000. VK blocked access to a number of pages on the protests, with the pages stating that it was blocked on the requirement of the General Prosecutor’s Office. [184], In St. Petersburg, the Gostiny Dvor and Nevsky Prospekt metro stations were closed. A policeman detains a man while protesters try to help him, during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Ее участникам предлагают выйти на улицу с фонариками", "Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny 'poisoned, "Navalny Taken Off Ventilator as Novichok Recovery Continues – German Hospital", "Russian prosecutors say no need for criminal investigation in Navalny affair", "Russia Protests Germany's 'Unfounded Accusations' In Navalny Poisoning Case", "Watchdog Says Novichok-Type Nerve Agent Found in Navalny Samples", "OPCW: Novichok found on Alexei Navalny samples", "Kremlin dismisses claims Putin poisoned Navalny", "EU Sanctions Russian Officials Over Navalny Poisoning, Citing Chemical Weapons Use", "Navalny Novichok poisoning: EU sanctions hit top Russians", "Alexei Navalny blames Vladimir Putin for poisoning him", "Alexei Navalny: Report names 'Russian agents' in poisoning case", "Russia Navalny: Poisoned opposition leader held after flying home", "Russia Warns 'Obliged' to Detain Kremlin Critic Navalny on Return", "Human Rights Court Says Navalny Unfairly Convicted In 'Yves Rocher Case, "Alexey Navalny remanded in custody for 30 days pending trial", "Kremlin Foe Navalny Flying Back to Russia Despite Risk of Arrest", "Alexei Navalny: Poisoned Putin critic Navalny jailed for 30 days", "Navalny Urges Russians To 'Take To The Streets' Over Jailing", "Alexei Navalny: Millions watch jailed critic's 'Putin palace' film", "У видео Навального о "дворце Путина" уже более 60 миллионов просмотров", "МВД пригрозило распространителям призывов протестовать 23 января", "Russian Government Claims TikTok Deleted Young People's Protest Prep Videos at Its Behest", "Как власти России готовились к акциям в поддержку Навального", "Navalny Allies Jailed, Fined as Russia Vows Protest Crackdown", "Russia Threatens Arrests, Prosecutions for Promoting Navalny Protests", "ГУ МВД России по г. Москве предупреждает об ответственности за участие в несанкционированных акциях", "Социальные сети удаляют призывы к детям участвовать в незаконных массовых акциях", "Pole Dancing And Fancy Toilet Brushes: Millions Watch Navalny Video On Alleged 'Putin Palace, "День всероссийского протеста: как проходят акции в поддержку Навального", "Опубликовано видео задержания Юлии Навальной", "В Москве задержали Юлию Навальную. In what authorities say is a coincidence, at the same time … 1 Internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, see political status of Crimea and 2014 Crimean crisis for details. He called the court case a “performance”. [142], A woman who was kicked by a riot policeman during the protest in a widely circulated video was hospitalized again after her condition worsened. Videos by local media or shared on social media showed police in body armour hitting protesters with staves. [75] Social media networks began removing information about the protests. [97], Estimates of the number of protesters in Yekaterinburg varied between 3,000 and 10,000. [167] The Gorkovskaya metro station was also closed. He also called on the Russian government to "release citizens detained during peaceful demonstrations". He was referring to Alexei Navalny, his main political challenger, who had … “Alexey Navalny must be released immediately,” he wrote. Police broke up the protest using force and blocked the main street. The St. Petersburg prosecutor's office said it was investigating the incident, while Vyacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the State Duma, defended the police officer, saying he was "being prevented from performing his duties". Election officials barred him from running for president in 2018 due to an embezzlement conviction that he claims was politically motivated. Сколько людей задержали на акциях «Свободу Навальному!» в разных городах России? 22% of respondents felt positive about the protests, 37% felt neutral, and 39% felt negative. [222] Simultaneously, small rallies of approximately 20 people were held in Sydney, in support of the Russian government. He also said that "we are not dissidents" and that "we are fighting for the political majority". For years, the government had harassed Navalny, holding him under house arrest, jailing his aides and imprisoning his brother for three-and-a-half years in 2014. [88][2] According to OVD-Info, over 60 people were detained in Khabarovsk, over 30 people were detained in Vladivostok and 30 people were detained in Yakutsk. [46], On 4 February, Leonid Volkov, Navalny's chief of staff, stated that they did not plan to hold further protests until the spring or summer to focus on the upcoming parliamentary elections later in the year. 45% and 43% of respondents said that they expected further growth in protest activity with political demands or economic demands, respectively – the highest rate since 1998.