New arrests at anti-war protests in Russia

MOSCOW, Sep. 24 (DPA/EP) –

This Saturday there have been new arrests during the mobilizations against the mobilization of reservists for the Russian Armed Forces, according to several civil rights organizations.

Photos and videos published by independent media show protesters being detained in Khabarovsk, Novosibirsk, Irkuts, Tomsk and Chita in Siberia. Banners with slogans such as “we are not meat” are also seen.

There are also protests scheduled for the afternoon in the capital, Moscow, and in Saint Petersburg.

The protests began after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization to strengthen the Armed Forces after recent setbacks in the war in Ukraine. On the first day of mobilizations, more than 1,300 people were arrested, according to the balance of the civil rights organization OVD-Info.