Why are non-Russian flags brought to protests in Khabarovsk?
The flags of Belarusian nationalists were again seen at the next rally in support of the arrested former governor of the Khabarovsk Territory Sergei Furgal (this was already the 78th day of protests).
The videos that appeared online show that in the crowd (10 thousand people, according to the opposition, 500 according to the city hall’s estimates) there are practically no state flags of the Russian Federation. Much more red and blue-green-white. At the same time, at least one flag of Belarusian nationalists was seen.
It is noteworthy that slogans in support of “Belarus” appeared at the Khabarovsk protests at the very beginning of August, that is, before the presidential elections in this country. In the same way, the first slogans in support of Khabarovsk were seen back in July at campaign rallies of then Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
Over the two months of protest, the Khabarovsk theme at the Minsk marches has become noticeably radicalized. “From Khabarovsk to Brest there is no place for dictatorship” - this was the slogan carried a week ago at the traditional Belomaidan weekend.
Khabarovsk protesters are also developing an anti-Putin theme, trying to broadcast their discontent throughout Russia. This trend is strongly welcomed and inflated by Navalny’s headquarters there and the liberal media.
“Not everyone in Khabarovsk likes this - calls are heard not to try to be “for all the good against all the bad” and to focus on the local agenda, that is, on supporting Sergei Furgal. On the other hand, opinions are expressed that it is precisely the purely local agenda that limits the strength of the Khabarovsk protest, preventing residents of other regions of Russia from supporting it. Supporters of this approach at traditional processions carry posters like “Rise up, cities, our Motherland is in trouble” and “Russia, come out!” In general, it seems to me that it is the representatives of the “globalization” of protest that prevail,” Khabarovsk psychologist Ilya Latypov wrote for the website of the American Radio Liberty.
Last Saturday there were signs of radicalization of the Khabarovsk protests. On the eve of the procession, a clash occurred between Furgal’s supporters and the police. The reason was an attempt by bailiffs to take away the so-called “furgalomobile” from activist Andrei Maklygin for the debts of his ex-wife. During the clash, protesters sprayed pepper gas.
An aggravation is possible today at the next march against the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. The number of participants is not much, but is steadily decreasing. You need to throw logs into the dying fire.
It looks like the Belarusian protests, which are talked about a lot in the federal media, and the Khabarovsk ones, which are trying to be silenced, mutually feed each other and are synchronized.
Why aren't Russian flags being carried to protests in Khabarovsk?