‘Makes me cry’: Elderly Russian activist arrested for joining anti-war protest, video enrages netizens

The crowd was heard chanting, “No to war”, as the police came to detain the woman, who was later identified as activist and artist Yelena Osipova by BBC News.

Osipova was arrested for participating in a rally in St Petersburg. According to The Guardian, the senior activist is said to have survived the infamous wartime siege of Leningrad when German Nazi forces invaded the Soviet city during the Second World War.

Those standing near Osipova had been applauding her when two officers approached and appeared to try to take her posters, one of which said: “Soldier, drop your weapon and you will be a true hero,” as translated by Sky News.

As she was slowly moved away from the site by two cops, a group of other officers tried to keep the rest of the protesters away.

Putin is at war with children. In Ukraine, where his missiles hit kindergartens and orphanages, and also in Russia. 7 y.o. David and Sofia, 9 y.o. Matvey, 11 y.o. Gosha and Liza spent this night behind bars in Moscow for their ‘NO TO WAR’ posters. This is how scared the man is. pic.twitter.com/eSenU1D5Ut

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 2, 2022

On social media, while netizens have lauded her for her courage and bravery, they condemned Russia’s crackdown on anti-war protestors and called police forces cowards for arresting elderly people and even children. “What sort of government is scared of a little old lady holding placards?” asked one user, another slammed Putin for “forgetting Russia’s history”.

When you find yourself detaining elderly protestors, you’re losing.pic.twitter.com/uN2zjkULbx

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) March 2, 2022

This is Elena Osipova.

She is a survivor of the Nazi siege of Leningrad.

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Yesterday, Russian police arrested her at an anti-war demonstration in St. Petersburg.

Is that what Putin means by “de-Nazification?”pic.twitter.com/YXfbIa4Gt0

— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) March 3, 2022

Putin’s regime arresting Yelena Osipova, survivor of the Siege of Leningrad during the Second World War, for protesting against Putin’s war in St Petersburg.

What sort of government is scared of a little old lady holding placards? pic.twitter.com/CkaQsnKnXq

— Jimmy (@JimmySecUK) March 2, 2022

.#Putin is a coward, afraid of old women… https://t.co/Ujzl6WNVjh

— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) March 4, 2022

Putin’s a coward, among many other things, arresting children and Elders protesting his illegal, and quite disastrous, war against #Ukriane. #PutinIsFalling #IStandWithUkriane 🇺🇦 https://t.co/GgB1gMR6Ig

— Nahanni Fontaine (@NahanniFontaine) March 3, 2022

Grotesque ironies: As Putin’s personal military invades, surrounds Ukrainian cities and commits war crimes on civilians, in Saint Petersburg Putin’s personal police force arrests Yelena Osipova, survivor of the Nazi Siege of Leningrad, for calling out Putin for what he is… https://t.co/SbdqHoEcPV

— J Mark Dodds FRSA (@JMarkDodds) March 3, 2022

How the f*** is that possible?? She has survived Leningrad blocade during WW2 and is now arrested for being anti-war?? 😡 https://t.co/EDlyz3WYDc

— Dragonheart (@indrekpaide) March 3, 2022

Or how many Russian police does it take to arrest one old lady with a coupla signs?

Russian police should be embarrassed. https://t.co/PkAhRS9OtW

— GiGi Wilde (@1wildegurl) March 3, 2022

That elderly honourable woman at the beginning of the video is Yelena Osipova. She is none other than one of the best-known survivors of the German blockade of Leningrad, which killed over a million civilians.

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This is what Putin’s denazification of Ukraine looks like.

— 🦋 Luke Into IOTA.org (@eavesdropperle) March 2, 2022

Yelena Osipova, artist and political activist, arrested today for standing up to the dictator and his war.

She survived 900 days of Nazi siege of her city. She knows the price of war. That’s why she’s standing up. What an inspiration. ✊🏽 https://t.co/7Q3hetiy34

— Kiavash Najafi (@KiavashNajafi) March 2, 2022

This makes me cry. These people willing to be arrested and jailed, possibly for years, to protest the unjust war their dictator has started. We are all amazed at the Ukrainians bravery, but we need to also be in awe of these Russian protesters, young and old!

— Amanda 🇺🇦 (@Amanda_1914) March 2, 2022

A babushka is arrested for holding a sign that says, “No Nuclear War” and “Peace”.

Putin’s afraid of grandmas. https://t.co/khBYhc9REj

— Christina Otero 🌻 (@morozhnoye) March 3, 2022

According to independent Russian human rights group Ovd-Info, the tally of people detained crossed 8,000 at anti-war demonstrations in the country since February 25, the day Russia invaded Ukraine.