Issue and Opponent: Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets on January 23, January 31, and February 2, 2021, to protest against the arrest of political opposition figure Alexey Navalny, against state corruption, and in reaction to Navalny’s investigation into President Vladimir Putin’s alleged palace. The rallies were some of the largest in Russia’s recent history and were met with mass detentions and widespread allegations of police violence. After two weekends of nationwide demonstrations, Navalny’s supporters introduced a new protest format, to avoid mass detentions, and to show support to all the people recently arrested in the public demonstrations.
Dilemma Action: On February 14 (Valentine’s Day), 2021, Nalvany’s team started a protest action that they called “Love is stronger than fear,” which began in Russia’s Far East, including in the cities of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Vladivostok, and Khabarovsk, and it extended to the capital, Moscow. Navalny’s team had called on people across Russia to switch on their mobile-phone flashlights for 15 minutes beginning at 8 p.m. local time and shine the light into the sky from their homes or the courtyards of their apartment buildings, or to arrange candles in the shape of a heart. Photos shared on social media showed small groups of people standing outdoors and holding flashlights or standing by candles arranged in the shape of a heart to mark the Valentine’s Day protest. Navalny’s team sent photos of small groups with lit-up cell phones in cities from Siberia to the Moscow region. It was unclear how many people participated overall. More than 500 people participated in the rally, which was authorized for only 200 people.
Outcome: The protest’s hashtag was trending with over 21,000 tweets and 8,000 Instagram posts. No arrests were immediately reported. However, police detained nine people at a daytime demonstration in the city of Kazan. Security guards at Moscow State University recorded the names of people leaving a dormitory to take part in a flashlight rally there. Yet Russian officials spent days trying to blacken the protests. Officials accused Navalny’s allies of acting on NATO’s instructions. Kremlin-backed TV channels warned that flashlight rallies were part of major uprisings around the world. State news agencies cited unnamed sources as saying a terrorist group was plotting attacks during unapproved mass protests. The suppression attempts represent a change of tactics for Russian authorities, who used to ignore Navalny.