DISINFO: Western-sponsored unauthorised protesters acted in a monstrous way against anyone who opposed them
SUMMARY
The shy, unauthorised movements of some protesters in various Russian cities did not produce political gains for the West, but rather began to backfire on them after the protesters’ monstrous behaviour attacking anyone who opposes their movements in the street, in addition to the apparent effort to drag the Russian security forces into a direct confrontation by provoking and attacking them in contrived ways.
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The Western countries’ bets were dropped again in Moscow and failed to save their spoiled Russian son [Navalny], even in the presence of his family of Western ambassadors and diplomats at the court, while Russia succeeded again, with its calm and wise policy, to thwart the Western plan and revealed the masks of diplomats, their choices and their true attitudes towards Russia, its people and its president.
RESPONSE
A pro-Kremlin account of the recent anti-government protests in Russia combining multiple disinformation narratives attempting to belittle and defame the protesters.
First, the article's claim that the protests are "shy" is part of a pro-Kremlin media attempts to downplay the country-wide protests in Russia in support of Alexei Navalny after his arrest by Russian authorities.
The Russian civil rights’ NGO OVD-info has documented over 1,800 detainees in Moscow alone during the demonstration on 31 January 2021. Around 4,000 people have been detained country-wide. This number equals the numbers detained during the demonstrations on 23 January 2021.
Police authorities in most major cities limited the access to city centres, making it virtually impossible to reach meeting points. Despite heavy police presence, several thousands gathered to express support to Alexei Navalny, currently in custody in Moscow.
A second attempt is made to try and de-legitimise the protests by claiming they are illegal or unauthorised and that protesters were violent and acting "monstrously". Article 31 of Russia’s constitution grants Russian citizens the right to gather and express their views publicly:
"citizens of the Russian Federation shall have the right to assemble peacefully, without weapons, hold rallies, meetings and demonstrations, marches and pickets".
The EU has condemned the mass detentions and police brutality during the protests in Russia.
The article also suggests that this 'movement' were supported and sponsored by the West. This message is consistent with pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives that protests, disorders and civil uprisings are never manifestations of popular discontent but are "colour revolutions" directed and funded by Western intelligence services or other Western actors in order to destabilise targeted foreign states and bring about regime change. And the West is always an aggressive actor constantly preparing new coups and colour revolutions in post-Soviet states, and that this has now extended to Russia itself.
The 2021 Russian protests began on 23 January 2021 in support of the arrested opposition leader Alexei Navalny and as a reaction to the investigation Putin's Palace. The rallies, from Russia’s Far East to central Moscow, came less than a week after Navalny returned from Germany, where he recovered from a nerve agent poisoning in August during a trip to Siberia. Navalny was arrested shortly after stepping off the plane. More than 3,300 people were arrested in protests spanning nearly 70 cities and towns across Russia.