Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to strengthen his hold on power in an election that will undoubtedly result in a landslide victory for him, despite thousands of opponents holding a symbolic protest at polling stations at noon.
Supporters of Putin’s most outspoken political rival Alexey Navalny, who passed away in a prison in the Arctic last month, had called for a “Noon against Putin” protest in order to express their dissent against a leader they view as a corrupt autocrat.
Navalny’s allies, including his widow Yulia Navalnaya, encouraged those unhappy with Putin, who is 71, or the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, to protest by showing up at polling stations at noon on Sunday, a tactic that Navalny himself supported before his death.
Team Navalny considered the protest to be successful, sharing images and videos of individuals gathering near polling stations across various cities in Russia at noon.
At a polling station in southwest Moscow, 18-year-old student Leonid mentioned that there weren’t many participants in the protest, but he was pleased that some people had shown up. The polling station was located in a school where Navalny had received his highest percentage of votes – 70% – during his unsuccessful mayoral campaign in 2013. He had also attempted to run against Putin in the 2018 presidential election, but his candidacy was rejected.
After casting his vote at a polling station where Navalny had previously voted, IT worker Alexander stated that he came to protest because it was one of the few ways he could express his dissent. “If I hadn’t done this, I would have felt like a coward,” said the 29-year-old.
52-year-old Elena mentioned that many people were too afraid to participate in large numbers. “I don’t want my homeland, Russia, to be like this… I love my country and I want it to be free.”
Putin, who assumed power in 1999, is on track to secure another six-year term, surpassing Josef Stalin to become Russia’s longest-serving leader in more than 200 years.
Although Putin’s re-election is certain due to his control over Russia and the lack of real competitors, the former KGB agent aims to demonstrate that he has the overwhelming support of the Russian people.
Hours before the polls were scheduled to close at 18:00 GMT, the nationwide voter turnout had already exceeded the levels from 2018, reaching 67.5%.