Kisiev, 31, said local activists had submitted applications to hold rallies in 17 regions across Russia. They were all denied, he said, including some that were initially given the go-ahead. Despite that, the OVD-Info protest monitoring group reported that at least 20 people were arrested across Russia for protesting digital restrictions on Sunday. The group also reported detentions ahead of Sunday of people who tried to apply to hold a protest.
Protests could show those who don’t agree with the restrictions “that there are other like-minded individuals,” Kisiev said.
NBC News reached out to more than a dozen Russians to ask what they think about the calls for protests. Most did not respond, while some declined to speak, without providing a reason.
Earlier this year, some Russians said they feared the Kremlin was preparing the public for a “North Korea” model of the internet, heavily controlled and censored by the state. “I
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