In a video that has gone viral across social media platforms, thousands of Russians demonstrated their opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine at a concert in St Petersburg.
Footage from the packed venue shows the concert-goers unanimously chanting ‘f**k the war’. The defiant scene reportedly took place at a show for Russian band Кис-Киc (Kis-Kis) on Friday night.
Питер. Концерт. Весь зал скандирует «Х** войне!»
К слову о том, что все россияне поддерживают Путина. Это не так! pic.twitter.com/2VT2LNx4hX
— Соболь Любовь (@SobolLubov) May 21, 2022
The viral video was posted after Russian singer Yuri Shevchuk, from the 1980s band DDT, was charged with ‘discrediting’ Putin’s military for sharing his opposition to the war at his show last week.
The singer questioned his country’s action in Ukraine, asking thousands in the crowd what the president hoped to achieve.
“The people of Ukraine are being murdered. For what?” he was filmed saying.
“Our boys are dying over there. For what? What are the goals, my friends? For some Napoleonic plans of another Caesar of ours. The motherland, my friends, is not the president’s a** that has to be slobbered and kissed all the time,” he added.
Russian authorities reportedly arrived at the venue, interrogated Shevchuk for over an hour after the show, and contemplated detaining him. If found guilty of ‘discrediting the Russian military’, the artists will face a fine of 50,000 rubles.
Shortly after Moscow’s invasion, Putin introduced new legislation targeting free speech, which has seen opposition news outlets censored and individuals arrested at rallies. At least 2,000 people have been fined, and 133 others face prison for their supposed non-compliance.
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