For many years, solitary pickets have been a cornerstone of public protest in Russia. Whereas protest rallies have long required official permission, holding a solo demonstration was, at one time, a legal way to publicly express one’s discontent. Though the authorities began working to close this loophole following major protests in 2012, the crackdown on individual picketers reached its peak in 2020. Under the guise of combating the spread of COVID-19, the Russian authorities were able to effectively ban not only public gatherings but also single-person pickets. Meduza breaks down how they did it here.
Meduza: Going solo
Russian police and National Guard (Rosgvardia) soldiers wearing face masks walk along Red Square in central Moscow on June 18, 2021, amid the crisis linked with the COVID-19 pandemic.
