Hundreds of people gathered across Europe and the United States on Friday evening to remember the Kremlin's biggest opponent, Alexei Navalny, whose death Moscow announced.
• Also read: Navalny: poisoned, imprisoned and died under Putin
• Also read: “Hope is dead”: Young Russians shocked by Navalny’s death
• Also read: “Don’t be fooled!”: the testament of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny
Mr. Navalny, who mobilized many supporters with his criticism of corruption in Vladimir Putin's Russia, died on Friday at the age of 47 in the Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence.
In Warsaw, around a hundred people demonstrated in front of the Russian embassy in Poland, mostly young people, many of whom appeared angry.
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Denislan, a 29-year-old Russian who did not want to reveal his full identity, said he came to protest against “political assassinations” and saw Navalny as a “symbol of Russian civil society.” “I am here because Russia should and could be a democratic country,” he said, his voice shaking.
Candles were lit and flowers were placed on the fence surrounding the heavily guarded embassy building.
![[PHOTOS] Demonstrations in Europe and the United States to denounce the death of Alexei Navalny](https://spamchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1708200936_976_PHOTOS-Demonstrations-in-Europe-and-the-United-States-to-denounce.jpg "[PHOTOS] Demonstrations in Europe and the United States to denounce the death of Alexei Navalny 2")
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Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Putin, murderer” and “Never forget, never forgive.”
In Lithuania, a country very critical of Russia, several hundred people also gathered with portraits of the deceased. The demonstration took place at the Monument to the Victims of the Soviet Occupation in Vilnius.
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A Russian woman who declined to be identified and has been living in Lithuania since last year said Navalny was “a person who said [qu’elle] thinks and who [lui] gave hope.”
“Even from his prison, he managed to find strength and give it to those who resisted,” she said. “I thought he would live forever.”
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“Hard Hit”
There were also several hundred of them in Berlin in front of the Russian embassy. “Murderer Putin! Putin in The Hague! [ville des tribunaux internationaux]» shouted the crowd that had gathered on the famous Unter den Linden avenue in the center of the German capital.
In a predominantly Russian-speaking crowd, among which there were also Germans, many signs showed photos or quotes from the opponent or insults against Vladimir Putin.
“It's a big emotional blow. “We are waiting for official confirmation from the family,” Evgeni Syrokin, coordinator of the FreeNavalny movement in Germany, told AFP. “It motivates us to keep working. We are fighting against Putin.
Behind him, flowers, candles and photos of Alexei Navalny multiplied on the sidewalk.
“I feel completely empty. I'm not a big activist, but I take this very seriously. This news just took my breath away,” said Mikhail Filippov, 40, who fled mobilization in Russia with his 21-year-old son.
“They killed him, there is no doubt about it. For me personally it's just horror. “It’s a sign that the compass has lost its way,” said Marat Guelman, 63, a renowned Russian collector and critic of Moscow who now lives in Berlin.
In the Netherlands, several hundred people demonstrated on Dam Square, in front of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam and in front of the Russian Embassy in The Hague, where a portrait of the deceased hung on the railing.
According to the ANP news agency, demonstrators in Amsterdam carried signs that read “Putin is a murderer” and “Don’t give up.”
“Shame”
In Switzerland, around 150 people gathered at the Place des Nations in Geneva, holding portraits of the opponent or bouquets of white flowers, as AFP reported. One woman carried a sign that read “Putin is a murderer.”
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In Zurich, around 300 people spontaneously gathered for a memorial service next to the main train station, as the Keystone-ATS agency reported.
Some had brought posters with the words “Never give up” next to the portrait of Alexei Navalny. “Putin killed Navalny,” another poster said.
In London, several dozen people gathered behind barriers outside the Russian Embassy, carrying signs in English or Russian that read: “Putin assassin,” “Assassin,” “Navalny our hero,” “My Russia is in prison,” “Give “Don’t open”, “We are Navalny” or “Putin is burning in hell”.
In the United States, several hundred demonstrators also gathered in front of the Russian embassy in Washington, waving signs reading “Shame on Putin.”
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To mark the occasion, the words “Putin” and “murderer” were projected onto the walls of the embassy.
“It’s such a tragic day,” said Polina, a 29-year-old gymnastics coach, praising Alexei Navalny as a “symbol of freedom, bravery and resistance.”
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In New York, people laid flowers in front of the Russian consulate and hung photos of the opponent on the building's gates.