Dozens Detained at Moscow Rally for Communist Party

Police in Moscow detained about 60 people, mostly young individuals, at a rally held by Russia’s Kremlin-friendly Communist Party on Sunday, the party reported. The detentions occurred as the gathering was concluding, and the party’s Moscow branch was working to secure the release of those apprehended.

The rally commemorated the anniversary of the 1993 parliamentary uprising, which was ultimately suppressed by the government. The event also comes amid heightened public frustration in Russia due to intensified Ukrainian drone attacks deep within the country, which have impacted oil refineries, warehouses, and caused disruptions to daily life, including in Moscow.

Protesters at the rally chanted slogans such as “Freedom for political prisoners,” “For fair elections,” and “Down with the Tsar,” according to the Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti.

The 1993 confrontation culminated a prolonged standoff between then-President Boris Yeltsin and hard-line lawmakers who opposed his market reforms. The conflict escalated when Yeltsin dissolved parliament and demonstrators supporting the lawmakers attempted to seize the state television broadcasting center. Yeltsin responded by deploying the military, which shelled the parliament building with tanks. Official reports stated 123 fatalities, though unofficial estimates suggested hundreds died.

The Communist Party has maintained a significant presence in parliament since the 1990s and has been led for over three decades by Gennady Zyuganov. While the party has offered criticism of certain government policies during Vladimir Putin’s tenure, it has avoided direct criticism of him and consistently supports the war in Ukraine.