Protests spread from Moscow to London after Russia's invasion
A look back at how public anger over the invasion of Ukraine surfaced in the streets of Russia, Britain and other countries.
How quickly did public protest follow Russia's invasion of Ukraine? On 24 February 2022, the day of the invasion, demonstrations were already being reported in several countries, including Russia itself.
In Moscow, police detained the Russian activist Marina Litvinovich after she called for anti-war demonstrations across Russia. Her detention was among the first reported acts of enforcement against opposition to the invasion inside the country.
In London, protesters gathered at 10 Downing Street to denounce the invasion. They called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the United Kingdom to support Ukraine.
The protests were not confined to those two capitals. Anti-war demonstrators also assembled at Russian embassies in many countries to oppose President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Demonstrations before the invasion
Public protest had already been building in the days before. On 22 February 2022, protesters gathered at the Russian Embassy in Kyiv over the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. On the same date, anti-war demonstrators assembled at the Russian Embassy in Berlin, Germany, to oppose President Putin's decision to send soldiers to separatist regions in Ukraine.
Taken together, the reports show a pattern: embassies became focal points for protest in Kyiv, Berlin and elsewhere, while in Moscow a call for demonstrations led to a detention.
