Russia hits out at West for 'meddling' in internal matter; downplays the scale of protests

Russia on hit out at the West for exaggerating the pro-Alexei Navalny rallies and supporting the demonstrations. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman claimed that only 'a few' had turned out at the protests demanding the immediate release of the Kremlin critic. However, ground reports suggested that more than 3,500 were detained by Russia’s law enforcement. According to a group that counts political detentions, tens of thousands gathered in and around Pushkin Square in the city centre in temperatures as low as minus-50 C (minus-58 F). 

In the footages that emerged online, despite the Russian police dispersing mob by means of lethal force and coercion, dragging into the police vans and making arbitrary arrests, Navalny’s supporters, in large number regrouped at a boulevard at about a kilometre. In the clips, the mob was seen throwing snowballs at the police. Disturbing images of violent clashes between the citizens and officers emerged where police thrashed the crowd mercilessly, making an undetermined number of arrests.

US State Dept. spokesperson condemned Russia’s use of force to silence the demonstrators at what it described as ‘unsanctioned rallies’. Ned Price lashed out saying: "The US strongly condemns the use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists in Russia". Price also said, "We call on Russia to release those detained for exercising their rights, including Aleksey Navalny, and to credibly investigate his poisoning". 

Read: Navalny Supporters Clash With Police In Moscow

Read: Alexei Navalny's Wife Detained By Russian Police At Moscow Protest

Flaring political situation

However, in a strong response to the West, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced US interference and its message, accusing the western countries of flaring the demonstrations in Russia. “Hypocrites continue to inflate the fake #Navalny case to interfere into internal affairs of our country. This is a professionally prepared provocation, encouraged by embassies of Western countries, including US Embassy in Moscow,” Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a post.

Biden administration had called on Russia to release the detained demonstrators, and the western nations collectively condemned "harsh tactics" used by Russian police. In support of the Kremlin, the Russian embassy in the UK also accused the nations in the West of supporting protests and dismantling the political situation further. Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a tweet that “criticism from Western countries was the result of a very deep crisis of that very Western way of thinking, of Western pseudo-democracy and pseudo-liberalism".

[Russian Police detains protesters. Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo]

Read: Scuffles At Moscow Protest Calling For Navalny Release

Read: Scuffles At Pro-Navalny Protest In Yekaterinburg