Issue and Opposition: Russians have been pushed to the corner under the oppressive regime of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and President Vladimir Putin. The protesters are led by the leader of the opposition, Alexei Navalny, who accused Prime Minister Medvedev was a compulsive online shopper (with a fascination for expensive t-shirts and sneakers) and leading a luxurious lifestyle. Navalny reported that although most Russians were living under economic stress, the Russian Prime Minister did not think twice before spending a lot of money to build a duck house in the middle of a pond within his lavish estate. Navalny also reported that he had evidence of the Russian PM’s estates and business interests all over Russia as well as his dealings with Russian oligarchs. Navalny’s accusation was harming the images of both the prime minister and the president. So, when Navalny was attacked in front of the offices of the Anti-Corruption Fund he had founded a kind of blue-green antiseptic dye that leaves visible marks on the skin for several days, most people suspected that the assault was orchestrated under the instructions of the Russian government. Navalny sustained chemical burns to one of his eyes due to this attack although his vision was saved. This attack on the opposition leader also made it clear to all that the charges of money laundering thrust upon Navalny were fabricated to ensure that he could not become a presidential candidate for the 2018 election. As a result of all these excesses and corrupt practices, the approval rating of Putin and Medvedev plunged drastically in 2017, something that alarmed Putin who was looking at being re-elected as the president in 2018. The dilemma action described here was one of the many demonstrations by the Russian public against their government.
Dilemma Action: A huge gathering of protesters (60,000 by some reports) crowded the streets of Moscow and other 82 cities on March 26, Sunday, and participated in peaceful rallies. The demonstrators, most of them young 20-somethings, carried sneakers and rubber ducks with them to taunt the Prime Minister’s expensive shopping habits and lifestyle. Further, to show solidarity with Navalny, some demonstrators painted their faces green.
Outcome: The activists and protesters were arrested by Russian police (according to some news reports, at least 1000 protesters were picked up from the gatherings) since rallies were illegal in many parts of Russia. According to media reports, Russian law enforcement officers used force and tear gas to break up the rallies. The police brutalities were duly noted by the journalists and the next day, the news of these rallies in which protesters carried sneakers, toy ducks, and appeared with face paints, splashed across all international media and social media platforms. While this action did not lead to any policy or regime change, it managed to grab the world’s attention to the government atrocities in Russia and how Putin and his cronies were instrumental in suppressing voices of dissent to keep in power.