A day with Russians in Berlin
Navalny's widow, and members of his team, held a "Stop Putin" march. It was a reminder that good intentions don't always translate well
The chance to engage with thousands of anti-Putin Russians and meet with supporters of Ukraine from Russia’s underground resistance was compelling enough to draw me out of Ukraine.
Known by its Russian acronym FBK, members of Alexei Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation, now headed by his widow Yulia, came together in Germany with two other exiled opposition figures, Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin, in November to hold their first combined event. That event laid the groundwork for yesterday’s gathering in Berlin, where organizers hoped to build momentum. The rally aimed to galvanize support against the Kremlin regime, taking place just days after the 10th anniversary of the murder of revered Putin rival Boris Nemtsov.
Being around such a large and diverse group of Russians, even those opposed to Moscow’s dictator, created some dissonance in my view of the day. My emotions, shaped by three years of living in Ukraine, clashed with the reality that these people—despite being Russian—had to be seen as allies in the global fight against tyranny and autocracy.
In my previous position with the Ukrainian Defense Forces, I often worked with Russian resistance groups such as Black Bridge and Algiz and am personally aware of the exceptional efforts of many other partisans operating inside enemy borders. Seeing nearly 1,000 people chant in the streets of a major European capital felt somewhat performative, though the event did raise awareness of Putin’s war crimes and showed clear support for Ukraine and Belarus.
Organizers touted 3,500 in attendance, while media reports speculated the number was even lower than 1,000. In many ways, this personified my experience as a whole: high expectations met a more sobering reality, yet the event still proved worthwhile for building connections with like-minded individuals.
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♥️ Standing for your freedom from those who live and breathe violence. Stand against those who sweat hatred. The “power and control” over other’s lives is evil at work. The best to the brave, who are willing to stand against them.
I think all of us in Europe want to know what an experienced American reporter thinks is going to happen. Is there going to be a world war of Europe against America and Russia?