‘This has by no means occurred earlier than’: Molotov cocktails utilized in extra reported assaults and protests at Russian polling stations
Extra stories are coming by way of of assaults and vandalism at some polling stations throughout Russia, in what seem like protests on the seemingly inevitable victory of Vladimir Putin.
Within the video beneath, a voter is seen burning a poll paper with the inscription “deliver again my husband”, apparently a reference to the conflict following the invasion of Ukraine.
The video appeared beneath a publish by Mash, a preferred digital information platform.
In the meantime, within the western Siberian area of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, one other video confirmed the scene after a lady tried to set fireplace to a poll field with a Molotov cocktail.
The lady was arrested, the fireplace was put out, and there was no harm or casualties, the native election fee mentioned.
Stanislav Andreychuk, from voters’ rights motion Golos, described the developments as “a brand new function of those elections”.
He mentioned there have been stories from a number of areas of voters pouring dye into voting containers and Molotov cocktails getting used to trigger harm.
“This has by no means occurred earlier than and that is in all probability a consequence of the big rigidity and aggression it generated in society, for which the Russian authorities bear direct accountability,” he mentioned.
Nonetheless, Mr Andreychuk mentioned that what the protesters have been doing was incorrect, as a result of “they do the identical factor because the falsifiers from the commissions – they deprive the votes of these voters who’ve already voted in these containers.
“Solely, not like the falsifiers from election commissions and administrations, they (the vandals) will obtain actual (jail) sentences.”
