In the middle of the news program of the first channel of Russian state TV, a woman stormed into the picture with a protest poster, shouting loudly several times: “No to war, no to war, no to war!” Her poster reads in Russian and English : “No war! Don’t believe the propaganda. Here you will be lied to”.
Very dangerous! Because in Russia it is forbidden for the media to describe the invasion of the Russian army in Ukraine as a “war” or “invasion”. Instead, the Putin dictatorship prescribes speaking of a “military special operation”. Violations are punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The protest heroine: Maria Ovsiannikova, an employee of the station. She is said to have been arrested after her action.
As an immediate reaction, the director of the news program (broadcast: 9 p.m. Moscow time, 7 p.m. German time) quickly changed the subject and showed pictures from a hospital. But by then it was too late: the images of the protest spread like wildfire on social media. Just like a video that the courageous opponent of the war had previously recorded.
Russian media also reported about it – but pixelated the courageous journalist and her poster.
In her pre-recorded video, Ovsiannikova stated: “What is happening in Ukraine is a crime and Russia is the aggressor. The responsibility for this aggression rests with one man: Vladimir Putin. My father is Ukrainian, my mother is Russian and they were never enemies.”
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She points to her necklace in the colors of both countries – Russia and Ukraine. But for them it is clear: “Russia must end this fratricidal war.”
Ovsiannikova continues: “Unfortunately, I have been working for the First Channel for the past few years. I did Kremlin propaganda and I am very ashamed of it — letting people lie from TV screens and allowing the Russian people to be zombified.”
“We didn’t say anything in 2014 when it was just beginning. We didn’t protest when the Kremlin poisoned Navalny. We just watched this inhumane regime in silence. Now the whole world has turned its back on us, and ten generations of our descendants will not be able to wash away this fratricidal war.”
And further: “Only we, thoughtful and intelligent Russians, have the power to stop this madness.” Her request: “Go to the protests, don’t be afraid!” Because: “You can’t put us all in jail.”
According to the civil rights organization OWD-Info, around 14,800 people have been arrested in Russia since the beginning of the war for protesting against the war in Ukraine.
By the way: Russian media also reported on the incident – but pixelated the courageous journalist and her poster.