Alexei Navalny’s widow joins ‘Noon Against Putin’ protest in Berlin as Russians form huge queues outside embassy in London and visit polling stations across the world to spoil their ballot papers as president is set to win fifth term in power
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, took part in an afternoon protest against President Vladimir Putin in Berlin on Sunday afternoon.
Navalnaya’s spokesperson Kira Yarmysh posted photos on X of a dissident queuing in the German capital, where Russians were lining up to vote. Activists said some people chanted and clapped “Yulia, Yulia.”
Votes were cast all over the world by Russian citizens living in other countries.
In Britain, dozens of people queued outside the Russian embassy in London to vote in the elections. The queue was at least half a mile long when MailOnline visited.
Alexander, a 24-year-old former artilleryman in the Russian army, told MailOnline today that he had no confidence that anyone other than Vladimir Putin would win the election.
Navalnaya’s spokesperson Kira Yarmysh posted on X photos of a dissident queuing in the German capital, where Russians were queuing to vote
One protester in Paris held a sign accusing the despot of being a murderer
Alexander, a 24-year-old former artilleryman in the Russian army (pictured) told MailOnline today that he had no confidence that anyone other than Vladimir Putin would win the election
A man was seen carrying a loudspeaker and blasting music through the huge queue outside the polling station at the embassy
He said: ‘(I think) Putin will win. I’m not very happy about that. He killed the nation and the next generation. That’s a lot of fathers (in Ukraine) and too many children will grow up without their fathers. The mental health of too many children will be damaged.”
Despite this, Alexander said he did not want to give up easily, given how much opposition leader Alexei Navalny gave in the service of his country.
“Navalny taught us never to give up. He was a courageous person who was not afraid. He believed that Russia would be better than it is now. I believe in this. It is a beautiful country.’
He added that he hoped Russia’s next leader after Putin would be someone who cared for the approximately 143 million people living in the country.
‘Every time a dictator or a king leaves, everyone wants their power for themselves. I hope we have a president who will make lives better in the country.”
Ekaterina, a 42-year-old office worker, said she and her friend had been waiting at the embassy for almost three-and-a-half hours by the time MailOnline spoke to her.
“We didn’t have lunch and my back hurts, but other than that it’s cool because you see so many people are on the same page as you, and you’re not alone. It supports you from within.
‘You feel confident and know you are doing the right thing. I am proud of myself and I hope that my children, when they grow up, will be proud of me too.’
Despite her upbeat attitude, she also said she was not hopeful about the outcome of the election. But this would not stop her from going to the embassy to cast her vote.
‘We simply cannot remain silent. We know we won’t change anything, but it’s just not right to remain silent.
‘I know it won’t change anything, we all know that. But if you don’t do anything, if you don’t show that you don’t agree with something bad, it’s like saying, ‘I’m not strong enough, I can’t help here.’
In Paris, a large line of people was seen outside the Russian embassy, while protesters were seen in nearby green spaces holding up signs with critical messages about Putin written on them.
One protester held a sign accusing the despot of being a murderer, while another compared Putin to Stalin and called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “genocide” and “terrorism.”
Yulia Navalnaya, widow of late Kremlin opposition leader Alexei Navalny, talks to a woman during a meeting at the Russian Embassy in Berlin
People attend a rally in Berlin near the Russian embassy where voters lined up to cast their votes for the Russian presidential election
In Russia itself, the main means of protest across the country was the ‘Noon against Putin’ movement.
Thousands across the country who opposed the veteran Kremlin leader went to their local polling stations in the afternoon to spoil their ballots in protest or vote for one of three candidates opposed to Putin.
Others had vowed to scribble the name of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison last month, on their ballots.
Navalny’s allies broadcast videos on YouTube of lines of people queuing at various polling stations across Russia in the afternoon, who they said were there to peacefully protest.
Navalny had endorsed the ‘Noon against Putin’ plan before his death in a social media post facilitated by his lawyers. The independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta called the planned action ‘Navalny’s political testament’.
Navalny’s allies broadcast videos on YouTube of lines of people queuing at various polling stations across Russia in the afternoon
The Kremlin portrays Navalny’s political allies – most of whom are based outside Russia – as dangerous extremists seeking to destabilize the country on behalf of the West
Despite the demonstrators – who represent a small part of Russia’s 114 million voters – Putin is tightening his grip on power in an election that is sure to give him a major victory.
The Kremlin has branded Navalny’s political allies – most of whom are based outside Russia – as dangerous extremists bent on destabilizing the country on behalf of the West.
It says Putin enjoys overwhelming support among ordinary Russians, pointing to opinion polls that put his approval rating above 80%.
Because Russia’s vast land mass spanned eleven time zones, protest voters were spread out rather than concentrated in a single mass, making it difficult to estimate how many people turned out for the protest event.
The size of the queues at each polling station shown on Navalny’s channel ranged from a few dozen people to several hundred people.