Russian police arrested thousands over the weekend as they tried to stop protests in at least 66 cities in seven time zones, and more demonstrations will come next weekend. What will it take for autocrat Vladimir Putin to realize that the arrest of Alexei Navalny was a mistake?
The Kremlin has tried to assassinate Navalny twice, most recently with a Soviet nerve agent, but the opposition leader continues to return. Literally: He returned from Berlin last week, where he had recovered from the near-fatal poisoning – only for his plane to be redirected to an airport 25 miles from its destination so that police could arrest him away from supporters who they had gathered to greet him.
He was detained for 30 days until he was heard on old charges that could be sent to a penal colony for years.
But Navalny has already recorded one of his future assassins spilling beans in connection with the poisoning attempt and has also released evidence about Putin’s apparent beloved child. His team also released a new report on Putinite’s corruption on Tuesday, which has more than 70 million views on YouTube.
Most importantly, his supporters will not give up. According to an estimate, 35,000 showed up to protest in Moscow, with several crowds as far as Vladivostock. Meanwhile, Navalny warned cautiously: “I don’t intend to cling to the window grille or cut my veins or neck with a sharp spoon.”
Putin has a tail tiger.
