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‘Makes me cry’: An elderly Russian activist is arrested for participating in an anti-war protest that enraged netizens

Yelena Osipova, who survived the Nazi Germany siege during WWII, was jailed at a rally against the invasion of Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin’s soldiers have faced stiff pushback in Russia since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Now, a video of an elderly woman getting jailed for participating in a rally against Russian aggression is going viral.

Since the first day of the invasion, Russians have rushed to the streets in large numbers to join anti-war demonstrations, resulting in the imprisonment of thousands. An elderly woman was recently spotted being carried away by local police in full anti-riot gear, armed with only two scribbled flyers.

The audience was heard chanting “No to war” when police arrived to arrest the woman, who was later identified by BBC News as activist and artist Yelena Osipova.

Osipova was arrested after attending a rally in St. Petersburg. According to The Guardian, the elderly campaigner is claimed to have survived the famed wartime siege of Leningrad during the II World War, when German Nazi forces seized the Soviet capital.
Those nearby were praising Osipova when two officers arrived and appeared to try to take her posters, one of which said, “Soldier, drop your weapon and you will be a true hero,” as translated by Sky News.
As two cops took her away from the scene, a number of other officers sought to keep the remainder of the protesters at bay.
On social media, users praised her for her bravery and courage while condemning Russia’s crackdown on anti-war protesters and calling police forces cowards for arresting old people and even toddlers. “What kind of government is afraid of a small old lady holding placards?” one user wondered, while another chastised Putin for “forgetting Russia’s history.”
According to the independent Russian human rights organisation Ovd-Info, the number of persons detained at anti-war protests in the country has surpassed 8,000 since February 25, the day Russia invaded Ukraine.

This release is articulated by Prittle Prattle News in the form of an authored article.

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