Young anti-war protesters turn a sanctioned Communist Party rally in Moscow into a protest of their own. Police detain more than 60 people.

On October 4, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) organized a rally in Moscow to commemorate the shelling of the White House. Unbeknownst to the organizers, young individuals from various left-wing political groups and Yabloko supporters also participated in the demonstration. A law student, who wished to remain anonymous, joined the youth contingent at the rally.

She explained that she attended due to the limited number of authorized rallies available, as the KPRF leadership had reportedly agreed to allow smaller left-wing parties, including Yabloko, to join the event.

The KPRF had requested that protesters refrain from displaying any symbols except those of the KPRF and the USSR. Despite this rule, the youth contingent chanted critical political slogans, which led to more individuals being detained by the police compared to the main KPRF group. The rally began at 11:30 a.m., with speeches from prominent KPRF members, focusing on rigged elections and the superiority of Russia over Ukraine.

After the speeches, participants proceeded to the Memorial Cross, where they laid flowers in remembrance.

Police detentions primarily occurred on Krasnaya Presnya Street, where the main KPRF group had already moved ahead. The youth contingent was met with some resistance from older KPRF supporters, who shouted official party slogans at the younger protesters. The law student expressed her frustration with the KPRF, stating that the party is somewhere between being part of the system and being in opposition, and that its members do not face the same consequences as those who support opposition parties such as Yabloko or Navalny.

Despite this, the law student decided to attend the rally to demonstrate that young people still exist and are vocal about their dissent.