Opponents of the constitutional change in Russia protested on the last day of the referendum against an “eternal” presidency of the leader of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin.
In Moscow’s Red Square, the police intervened on Wednesday when several activists lay on the doorstep and the year was 2036.
Putin, 67, can remain in power for another sixteen years after the new constitution enters into force, until 2036, if he is re-elected.
According to the old constitution, he should have resigned in 2024. Opposition members called for protests in Moscow and Saint Petersburg after the six-day vote.
Kremlin opponents have so far been on the Internet with the “Njet!” Campaign. They called for a “no” at the ballot box. Demonstrations in Russia are not allowed due to the corona pandemic.
The opposition accuses Putin of a coup. The amendment to the constitution was without a constitutional committee and therefore wrongfully implemented, they said. “No to Eternal Putin!” Their leaflets say.
Activist Andrei Pivovarov called on people to protest on Wednesday night in Pushkin Square in Moscow.
The process is a farce and has nothing to do with democracy. “We are the majority, we will be stronger,” he said in the call on various social networks.