Jun 29

Jun 29 Opposing Putin

Chicago, Demonstrations, Protest, Public Declarations

Fifty Russian, including recent émigrés, braved the heat and humidity today to once again call out Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and his reign of terror during an hour-long demonstration in front of the Wrigley Building. I saw many of the same faces that I have seen at similar demonstrations over the last several years.

Visually, 50 people gathered together pales in comparison to the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have occasionally drawn 8,000 to 10,000 people. But the optics do not fully capture the powerful spirit emanating from those attending the event.

If these demonstrators showed up in Red Square with their signs proclaiming “Putin Is Killing Freedom,“ the Russian security services would cart the lot of them off to the IK-3 Penal Colony located north of the Arctic Circle, the prison where Alexei Navalny was murdered earlier this year by one of Putin’s acolytes. So to see them take to the streets of Chicago, comfortable exercising their newfound rights, speaks volumes about their determination, as well as role that the United States still plays in inspiring people around the world.

The entire affair lasted no more than an hour, in part because of the soaring temperatures and humidity. The demonstrators began by lining the sidewalk in front of the Ghirardelli Chocolate shop in the Wrigley Building. Each held a sign displaying a photograph of a Russian dissident who is currently in prison or who was murdered by Putin. Kudos to the organizers on uniform and professional signage.

After everyone was in position, a number of the regulars took the black bullhorn to make speeches, several were in Russian, as passersby stopped momentarily to snap a photograph or read the signs. After the speeches, the group once again engaged in some street theater that never gets old. Several people assembled a cardboard prison cell, with a Putin look-alike wearing manacles around his wrists then being imprisoned in the faux cell. More than a few people posed for pictures with Putin as he stood behind bars.

The demonstration then ended with a team photograph—I always hate those because I usually am unable to capture an image that includes all the participants.

For me the highlight of the demonstration occurred when Bogdan Tsoriev read a letter from Ilya Yashin that Tsoriev had lovingly translated from Russian into English. Today is Yashin’s 41st birthday. Russian dissidents throughout the world are fearful that the courageously outspoken Yashin will meet the same fate that Navalny met. To keep Yashin in the public eye, the dissidents decided to mark his birthday with coordinated celebrations/demonstrations.

Yashin was sentenced by a Russian kangaroo tribunal on October 9, 2022 to eight and half years in prison for his opposition to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. He was charged with disseminating “fake information” when he aired footage from the BBC that included first-hand testimonies of mass killings in Bucha.

Yashin is a longtime activist who had close ties to Navalny, as well as Boris Nemstov, who was shot to death (from behind) on February 27, 2015 as he crossed the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge in Moscow. I recall the assassination because I remember crossing that bridge one night in Moscow after stopping into an ice cream shop on a lovely summer night.

When Yashin was sentenced, the New York Times described him as being “among the highest-profile opposition politicians remaining in Russia.” He is a longtime activist, having founded the civic youth movement Oborona in 2005, as well as the Solidarnost movement in 2008. Despite being a dissident, Yashin was elected a municipal deputy for Moscow’s Krasnoselky district in 2017. In 2018, he announced his intentions to run for Mayor of Moscow, but his political aspirations came to an end on June 25, 2021, when he was barred from running in a then upcoming legislative election after being dubbed an extremist.

The late congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis coined the phrase that best describes Yashin’s efforts to date—He got into “good trouble.” Unfortunately, Russian citizens don’t have the same rights or the rule of law protecting them, so it is unlikely Yashin will be released from prison or serve in government until Putin’s reign brought to an end.

Yashin already functions as a beacon of light for Russian dissidents throughout the world. Those who were born in the United States who have thrown their support behind Donald Trump and MAGA may want to reconsider their ill-advised thinking by considering the example set by Yashin. Freedom comes at a steep price. Do not be too quick to trade it for an autocratic who offers false hope and empty promises.

With the foregoing in mine, here are Yashin’s words, as read out loud by Bogdan Tsoriev and other Russians from around the world today.

Hi, friends!

First of all, I want to thank everyone that is being present today. Thank you for not just sitting at home. Thank you for not being silent. Thank you for being careful. I want you to know that your support to me and other political prisoners is incredibly important. It gives strength, embraces the spirit and saves our hope. I truly appreciate the fact, that afar from your motherland you did not lose your emotional connection with our country and people, who decided to stay here

Despite the distance that separates us, we are doing the same job. Together we are destroying the propagandistic myth about a total support for war and dictatorship by Russian society. For the sake of looking consolidated, Kremlin lies and evades. Every one, who does not agree with them, is being thrown out of the country or is being locked in the prison. Arrests are happening literally daily - men and women are ending up behind the bars; pensioners, students and even pupils; teachers, journalists, doctors; representatives of the intelligence and workers, various specialists at any age. These citizens decided to disagree with the war crimes against Ukraine and they paid for their own words with their own freedom, these people form a big part of our Russian society. In fact, these people are our Russian society. And you, my friends, who were forced to leave their motherland because of the war and who lost the warmth of their hearthstone - you are indeed a vital part of our Russian society

A heavy burden is upon our shoulders: to protect the honor of our country against the context of this shameful aggression, to become the anti-war voice of our generation and to create a democratic alternative to militarism and tyranny. The task is complex and dangerous, but it brings meaningfulness to our lives. History gave us a chance to stand on the good side and defend the values of peace, freedom, and human dignity. Such mission is an honor to carry. Let us do it with our heads up, wherever we are

Let me tell you something personal. Today is my 41st birthday, and, of course, I would prefer to celebrate it not in a prison barracks or concrete punishment cell, but with my family and loved ones. Let me tell you the truth: it is probably the most difficult period in my life now. The pressure increases, the prison system is trying to consistently suppress my will and force me to remain silent. I know that many of you are worried about me, especially after the murder of Alexei Navalny in the polar colony. I see your concern in the ocean of letters that are brought to me from all over Russia and from all over the world. And I am in a hurry to mollify all of you as much as possible. Despite the pressure, I have enough strength to preserve myself, preserve my voice and the will to resist. I am infinitely far from despair and apathy, I feel your colossal support and I don’t even let myself think about capitulating and giving up. I promise that I will walk my path with virtue and I will try to motivate others to keep the resistance, using myself as an example

And also, friends, I want all of you to unify. We are a humankind, and, of course, contradictions may arise between us. But sometimes in the heat of a discussions such contradictions convert into violent conflicts and even enmity. And this is definitely what we do not need. At the times of bloodshed and a terrible war into which Putin has dragged Russia, at the times of many personal dramas merging into one big tragedy - at this moment we shall not confront or blame each other. We must seek for something that unifies all of us

What consolidates us in the first place? Love, indeed. We are united by our love for our motherland. We all truly wish peace and prosperity for our country. We are united by our love for the humankind. We all want to stop Putin’s conveyor belt of death, achieve freedom for innocent political prisoners and create a happy, comfortable society. At last, we are united by our willingness to take responsibility for the present and the future. That is why you are here, that is why we are nearby, that is why there is solidarity between us. I believe that love will save this world. It is stronger than fear, stronger than weapons and even death. Love is stronger than anything, it can stop wars and keep the progress going. The Sermon on the Mount says: love your neighbor. I just want to remind you of these words today. Let love, mutual respect and humanism become the foundation of a new Russia

Take care of yourself, friends

I am near

Your Ilya Yashin

[I generally don’t take positions regarding the events I cover. I make an exception for Ukrainian and anti-Putin Russian demonstrations. There is only one correct viewpoint.]

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]