Why protests are impossible in Russia

Normal public protests are impossible in Russia for one simple reason: they do not feel sorry for even their children.Almost all of the more or less significant social and political protests of the 20th and 21st centuries began with the most reactive part of society, the youth and students, who were then taken up by the rest of society. They took the first blow, very often they were beaten by the police, and this served as a reason for their parents and other elders to become indignant and join the protest.

This was the principle behind the Orange Revolution and especially Euromaidan. The Berkut (special police force - ed.) beat students who were about to wrap up the protest and go to the New Year's holidays, and the next day there was a million people in the center of Kyiv.

The protests in Belarus fizzled out and failed for the same reasons – young people were twisted and beaten by security forces for a week, while their parents and grandparents watched in silence and often did not even share their motives, considering them stupid upstarts.

“The infrequent protests in Russia during the Putin era have been similar: at first, rather massive and numerous protests by young people were increasingly boldly suppressed by security forces, inspired by the complete lack of response from their parents.”

The infrequent protests in Russia during the Putin era have been similar: initially, rather massive and numerous protests by young people were increasingly boldly suppressed by security forces, inspired by the complete lack of response from their parents. It is said that during one of these massive protests, Nemtsov (outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, whose life and activist career ended with his assassination in Moscow - ed.) deliberately prevented young protesters from clashing with the police: “I will not lead children under police batons.” Maybe this was the key mistake and the key moment of the Russian political protests – maybe he should have led them along, because now those children are being led under Ukrainian guns.

At the end of last February, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major Russian cities experienced an identical situation: TikTok teenagers came out to protest, clearly understanding the fallacy and trashiness of what was happening. They have no fear of the system because they have not yet encountered it due to their age. Underage Russians were the only ones who dared. You remember these attempts. And they, frightened and gathered in groups of children, were quickly dragged away in the cars by the 'cosmonauts'. There were even shots of crying eight-year-olds and preschoolers detained in the car, who came out with their mothers with posters for peace. And the hushed and indifferent Russian society simply watched. Maybe even looked away.

“At the end of last February, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major Russian cities experienced an identical situation: TikTok teenagers came out to protest, clearly understanding the fallacy and trashiness of what was happening. They have no fear of the system because they have not yet encountered it due to their age. Underage Russians were the only ones who dared.”

It is said that young François Mitterrand, during the student protests in France in the late 1960s, said the historic phrase: “Youth can be wrong, but a society that despises and beats its youth is fundamentally wrong.” I even recall Ukrainians' disdain for the recent protests of the so-called 'yellow vests', saying, “the French are getting all worked up again, we should have their problems.” But the key here is to recognize the basic right to protest as a form of freedom of speech. And if a certain group of people or even one person believes that they have something to say to the rest of society through protest, they have every right to do so, and no one has the right to beat them or put them in jail for it. This applies equally to Euromaidan and Prides.

In Ukraine, they say that there are no other people's children, and therefore it is equally painful for every young man or woman who is killed or injured and who would have lived to see another day. So it seems that fundamentally this war on the part of Russia became possible primarily because they don't even care for their own children.

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About the author: Volodymyr Hevko, marketer, blogger.

The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the authors of the blogs.