Despite a heavy police presence and the threat of detention, thousands of mourners gathered outside a Moscow church for the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. Via CNN:
Mourners clapped and chanted Navalny’s name as his coffin arrived at the church. Others shouted “Putin is a killer” or “no to war.”
Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most formidable opponent, died aged 47 in an Arctic prison on February 16, sparking condemnation from world leaders and accusations from his aides that he had been murdered. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in his death.
Navalny’s team encountered difficulty in retrieving his body from Russian authorities and hiring a venue for his funeral, which was held Friday afternoon at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow’s Maryino district, where the Kremlin critic lived.
He was later buried at Borisov Cemetery, where Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” played as his coffin was lowered into the ground.
Thousands of mourners showed up to show their respect for the fallen activist:
Ahead of the funeral, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned Russians against unauthorized memorials for Navalny, saying those attending would be “in violation of the law.”
Maria Pevchikh, a close aide to Navalny, said the chants for Navalny will continue. “People are chanting ‘Navalny! Navalny!’ in loud voices. This chanting we will hear in months’ time, in a year’s time,” she said.
Around 20 minutes before Navalny’s funeral began, the live signal of the CNN team on the ground appeared to be blocked. The live feed organized by Navalny’s team also dropped. CNN’s signal went back up shortly after the service finished.
F*cking cowards. They think if they block the pictures, somehow people will forget?
