+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
upworthy
Democracy

Russian citizens are risking being jailed to protest the war in Ukraine

Russian citizens are risking being jailed to protest the war in Ukraine
www.flickr.com

Russian police forces in Moscow suppress demonstrators.

Ukrainian citizens aren’t the only ones standing in defiance of the Russian invasion on Ukraine. Thousands of Russian citizens have defied Vladimir Putin’s one protester rule, and have been protesting the war in Ukraine en masse. And obviously, this isn’t just any protest.

Here in America, we can protest just about anything, just about any place we deem fit to feel our discontent. Unless people become unruly or destructive, there generally aren’t arrests or violence. As long as the group you’ve gathered is protesting peacefully, it is within your rights to remain unbothered by whatever authority may be present to ensure peace.

In Russia, protests that consist of more than one person are illegal and expressly outlawed in all forms. There have been reports of people protesting and never returning. Russian citizens are swiftly jailed and oftentimes injured during the arrest. There have been videos of people screaming as they are being carted away by the police, some have speculated that they are screaming because they aren’t sure they’ll return. No matter why they’re screaming, it’s obvious from the videos that protesting in Russia is dangerous, and the fact that these people are willing to risk their lives to speak up for their neighbors is admirable.


Currently, more than 6,400 Russians have been arrested for protesting since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.On one day alone, more than 2,000 people were arrested in 48 cities across the country for protesting, according to OVD-info, a rights group. The rights group was deemed a foreign agent last year due to Putin’s opposition to activists, rights groups and opposition figures. The bans on protests and activist groups haven’t slowed down the increasing demand from the Russian people to end the war in Ukraine.

Tennis star Andrey Rublev showed his disapproval of the war by writing “no war please” on a camera after his win in Dubai. Rublev is the seventh best male tennis player in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the on-camera writing came days after protests began in Russia. The people of Russia are feeling emboldened enough to stand against a war that they do not support in a way that can cause them physical harm, and at the very least certain jail time.

While in Moscow protestors were often outnumbered by the police, they dared to show their very real anger with the war by shouting, yelling and displaying signs with anti-war sentiments scrawled across them. Some protesters even wore masks with the word “enough” written on them. Outside of a department store in St. Petersburg, protesters stood shoulder to shoulder, linking arms and chanting.

Protests spread much further than Russia, as thousands of people protested in the streets across Europe in opposition to the war. Russia has been levied heavy sanctions from across the globe; even Switzerland, a country famous for its neutrality, spoke out against the war. It’s been heartwarming to see all of the support the Ukrainian people are receiving, but the most unexpected support is coming from within Russia itself.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
ukraine
Community

Facebook group brings people together IRL to make meaningful friendships

True

Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

Keep ReadingShow less
friendship
Education

3,700-year-old Babylonian stone tablet gets translated, changes history

They were doing trigonometry 1500 years before the Greeks.

via UNSW

Dr. Daniel Mansfield and his team at the University of New South Wales in Australia have just made an incredible discovery. While studying a 3,700-year-old tablet from the ancient civilization of Babylon, they found evidence that the Babylonians were doing something astounding: trigonometry!

Most historians have credited the Greeks with creating the study of triangles' sides and angles, but this tablet presents indisputable evidence that the Babylonians were using the technique 1,500 years before the Greeks ever were.

Keep ReadingShow less
education
Family

Mom’s blistering rant on how men are responsible for all unwanted pregnancies is on the nose

“ALL unwanted pregnancies are caused by the irresponsible ejaculations of men. Period. Don't believe me? Let me walk you through it."

Gabrielle Blair/Twitter

Mom has something to say... strongly say.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormons, are a conservative group who aren't known for being vocal about sex.

But best selling author, blogger, and mother of six, Gabrielle Blair, has kicked that stereotype to the curb with a pointed thread on reducing unwanted pregnancies. And her sights are set directly at men.

Keep ReadingShow less
women
Joy

Terrified, emaciated dog comes to life as volunteer sits with him for human connection

He tries making himself so small in the kennel until he realizes he's safe.

Rocky Kanaka|YouTube

Terrified dog transforms after human sits with him.

There's something about dogs that makes people just want to cuddle them. They have some of the sweetest faces with big curious eyes that make them almost look cartoonish at times. But not all dogs get humans that want to snuggle up with them on cold nights; some dogs are neglected or abandoned. That's where animal shelters come in, and they work diligently to take care of any medical needs and find these animals loving homes.

Volunteers are essential to animal shelters running effectively to fill in the gaps employees may not have time for. Rocky Kanaka has been volunteering to sit with dogs to provide comfort. Recently he uploaded a video of an extremely emaciated Vizsla mix that was doing his best to make himself as small as possible in the corner of the kennel.

Kanaka immediately wanted to help him adjust so he would feel comfortable enough to eat and eventually get adopted. The dog appeared scared of his new location and had actually rubbed his nose raw from anxiety, but everything changed when Kanaka came along.

Keep ReadingShow less
dogs
Science

She tattooed half her face and you'd never know it. Her skills are just that good.

This incredible medical tattoo technology is giving renewed hope to burn victims.

All images via the CBS/YouTube

Basma Hameed runs a tattoo shop, of sorts...


Meet Samira Omar.

The 17-year-old was the victim of a horrific bullying incident.

Keep ReadingShow less
Education

8 changes that were made to a classic Richard Scarry book to keep up with the times. Progress!

All the misogyny and racism you may not have noticed are now gone.

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

Updating the kitchen.


Remember those beloved Richard Scarry books?

Books from when you were a kid?

Keep ReadingShow less
Education

Voice recordings of people who were enslaved offer incredible first-person accounts of U.S. history

"The results of these digitally enhanced recordings are arresting, almost unbelievable. The idea of hearing the voices of actual slaves from the plantations of the Old South is as powerful—as startling, really—as if you could hear Abraham Lincoln or Robert E. Lee speak." - Ted Koppel

Library of Congress

When we think about the era of American slavery, many of us tend to think of it as the far distant past. While slavery doesn't exist as a formal institution today, there are people living who knew formerly enslaved black Americans first-hand. In the wide arc of history, the legal enslavement of people on U.S. soil is a recent occurrence—so recent, in fact, that we have voice recordings of interviews with people who lived it.

Keep ReadingShow less
history
Trending Stories