Anti-Kremlin Protests Held in Several Russian Cities

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, celebrated his birthday on Saturday, October 7, while anti-Kremlin protests were held in several cities across the country at the request of Alexei Navalny, his most staunch opponent. According to Reuters, during the protests on Saturday, 139 people were arrested by police in 25 cities in Russia. Before the protests began, Russian officials warned that any demonstrations without official government permission were illegal and prohibited. This wave of protests, which Reuters reports were mostly attended by young people, was against the Kremlin and in support of Mr. Navalny, who is currently serving a 20-day prison sentence in Moscow. The reason for Mr. Navalny's imprisonment was stated to be his call for unauthorized protests. Reuters reports that over two thousand people gathered in one of the central squares of Moscow, chanting slogans such as 'Russia will be free' and 'Russia without Putin.' In St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin's hometown, about 1500 people marched towards the city's main street chanting 'Putin the thief' and 'Free Navalny.' The protests were held at the request of Alexei Navalny simultaneously with Vladimir Putin's birthday, who was celebrating his sixty-fifth birthday on Saturday. Meanwhile, less than six months from now, in March 2018, presidential elections will again be held in Russia. Although no official announcement has been made yet, it is expected that Mr. Putin will run for the presidency again. If he wins again, it will be his fourth term in the Kremlin. Vladimir Putin has had undisputed rule over Russia for nearly 18 years, and it is expected that Mr. Putin will confirm his candidacy for another six-year term in the Kremlin in the next two to three months. Currently, Alexei Navalny is considered the largest and most prominent opposition leader and opponent of Putin in the country. Mr. Navalny hopes to compete with Vladimir Putin in the elections next spring, although the Russian Central Election Commission has stated that he is not eligible to run. The commission cited a suspended prison sentence issued by the court against Alexei Navalny as the reason for its ruling; however, the Russian opposition leader believes that the prison sentence was issued for 'political motives.' Nevertheless, even if Mr. Navalny gets the chance to compete with Putin, according to existing polls cited by Reuters, the current president can 'easily' defeat his potential rival. In recent years, Mr. Putin has enjoyed significant popularity, especially in small Russian cities, by relying on a nationalistic policy domestically and a hardline foreign policy.