Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied reports about a large number of people participating in the protests that took place in several Russian cities on Saturday.
In an interview with the program "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" on Russia 1 television, Peskov stated, "Now many will say that a lot of people participated in illegal actions. No, only a few people came out." He explained that many people vote for Putin and support the constitutional amendments, saying, "If you compare the numbers, you will understand that the number of people is small, although they are also Russian citizens."
Peskov confirmed that he respects all viewpoints but firmly opposes participation in illegal actions, indicating that there can be no other assessment as it breaches the law.
The press office of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs stated on Saturday that around four thousand people gathered at Pushkin Square in central Moscow to participate in an unauthorized protest organized by supporters of the blogger and opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who had previously posted calls on the internet for unsanctioned actions in his support.
Russian authorities clarified that they had previously rejected the organization of mass events due to the difficult epidemiological situation caused by the COVID-19 virus and had repeatedly warned that participation in unauthorized events planned in Moscow and other cities on January 23 would be considered provocations and a threat to public order, and that they would be addressed immediately.
