Feb 27, 2022 - World

Hundreds arrested at anti-war protests in Russia and Belarus

Rebecca Falconer

Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine at Pushkinskaya square on February 27, 2022 in Moscow, Russia. — Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine at Pushkinskaya Square on Sunday. Photo: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

Police in Russia arrested over 2,000 people protesting the invasion of Ukraine, and authorities in Belarus detained more than 400 others in massive crackdowns on the anti-war movement in the countries on Sunday.

Driving the news: More than 5,200 anti-war demonstrators have been arrested in Russia since President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to invade Ukraine last Thursday, per OVD-Info, a Russia-based human rights monitoring group.

In Belarus, where President Aleksandr Lukashenko's authoritarian government has been supporting Russia's invading forces, protesters waved Ukrainian flags at rallies across the country Sunday, per AP.
Authorities detained at least 440 people following the protests in the Belarusian capital Minsk and about a dozen other Belarusian cities, the Viasna human rights center reports.

The big picture: The invasion of Ukraine has triggered a global outcry, with thousands taking to the streets in cities including Washington, D.C., London, Tokyo and Sydney.

Go deeper: The latest on the Russian invasion of Ukraine

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Hundreds arrested at anti-war protests in Russia and Belarus

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