Videos of unrest in Moscow, Russia, appear to show officers in riot gear beating protesters and members of the media with clubs during protests Tuesday.
More than 850 people were arrested in demonstrations that erupted Tuesday after a court decided to sentence opposition leader Alexei Navalny to 3.5 years in prison Tuesday, the BBC reported. Navalny faces a total of 2 years and 8 months behind bars since the court will give credit for the time he served under house arrest.
A large group of protesters were seen marching down a street in downtown Moscow, Russia, as cars honked along to demonstrators’ chants, videos posted to Twitter show. Many of the people shown in the videos were documented wearing the same clothing and in the same location in photographs captured by the Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Officers appeared to beat people trapped between cars and a building with clubs, and filled what appeared to be a police bus with protesters who had been detained after were marching in a street in Moscow, videos show.
People chant “we are not armed”, police beats people pic.twitter.com/bqboBuO1JH
— Meanwhile in Russia (@officialrus1) February 2, 2021
Police officers appeared to shock a man who fell to the ground abruptly, video shows. Another man muttered two words to an officer who was detaining him and was then released seemingly without question. (RELATED: Riot Police Block Off Areas In Moscow, Arrest Demonstrators Immediately Following Navalny’s Sentencing)
An officer walked up to a man appearing to wear a reflective yellow vest, which members of the media frequently use to identify themselves, and hit him in the head with a club causing him to fall to the ground screaming, video shows.
Other videos show people who resemble members of the press being forcibly detained by law enforcement.
Police beats a reporter in a yellow press vest
Moscow downtown right now pic.twitter.com/KfnG8HIHNi— Meanwhile in Russia (@officialrus1) February 2, 2021
A large crowd of people was captured running away from people who resembled police officers in riot gear in downtown Moscow, Russia, other videos show a large group of demonstrators walking on a sidewalk next to a busy street chanting “freedom.”
Moscow right now people run away from police pic.twitter.com/ojERGLNQp8
— Meanwhile in Russia (@officialrus1) February 2, 2021
Officers in riot gear surrounded a car and appeared to try to open the car doors while people were still inside. In another instance, officers chased down a taxi, opened the door and ripped someone out of the vehicle, before detaining the driver.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Navalny should be released immediately and that he would hold Russia accountable for his unjust sentence, the BBC reported. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Western countries should “not interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign state” and instead focus on their own issues.
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