‘Noon against Putin’: Navalny ally urges Russians to join election day protest in Kremlin critic’s memory

A close ally of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny reiterated the Kremlin critic’s call asking Russians to take to the streets against President Vladimir Putin on election day next month. Navalny had called for the “Noon against Putin” protest by asking all Russians to turn out to vote at the same time. 

‘Navalny’s direct political testament’

In a video published on YouTube, Navalny ally Leonid Volkov said the protest call was “Navalny’s direct political testament” and last call of action. 

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In a post on social media, on February 1, Navalny before his death, urged Russians to show their protest by forming long queues at noon on March 17 to vote against the president who is seeking his fifth term in office. 

However, with the disqualification of two anti-war candidates on technical grounds and three candidates who support the president, Putin is expected to win easily. 

The jailed Kremlin critic reportedly died in an Arctic penal colony on February 16. “Now this is no longer just a political action aimed at overcoming political loneliness and isolation,” said Volkov. 

He added, “Now this is a rally of mourning and a civic memorial, an action in memory of Navalny, who asked us to hold it.” 

“People will thus fulfil the last will of Alexei Navalny, so this is very important. Do it. And in the time remaining before the election, convince as many people as possible to do this,” said Navalny’s ally. 

Ahead of the Russian presidential elections, experts said independent monitoring of the balloting will be difficult since the voting is expected to take place between March 15 and 17. Additionally, an online voting system will be in place in many regions.

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However, the late Russian opposition leader’s team said they would continue to campaign against Putin and came up with the idea of voters going to the polls at a specific time in a show of defiance. The idea seemed “weak” initially, said Navalny’s allies, but they did the math. 

“There are 2,058 polling stations in Moscow, even if half a million people will show up at the same time, it will be 250 like-minded people at each polling station, which is already a lot of people at each polling station,” Navalny ally Ivan Zhdanov said in a post on X, earlier this month. 

At the time, Navalny said the “Noon against Putin” demonstration would be a “completely legal and safe” way to protest since Russian authorities have no way to counter it. 

Kremlin criticises ‘provocative call’

The Kremlin has since warned of legal consequences for those who heeded what it called “provocative” calls from people it labelled as dangerous United States-backed extremists.

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“These people, so-called supporters (of Navalny) are well known for their provocative calls - to break the laws of the Russian Federation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. 

He added, “This is a very harmful practice and has legal and law enforcement consequences for those who respond to these calls.”

(With inputs from agencies)