Russia Thwarts Protests Over Blocking of Telegram Messaging App
Authorities across nearly a dozen regions in Russia have systematically refused to authorize protests in recent weeks targeting internet censorship and the blocking of the popular messaging application Telegram. Despite these efforts to suppress public demonstrations, widespread frustration persists among citizens from various political backgrounds.
Creative Excuses Used to Block Demonstrations
In one Russian city, officials blocked a planned rally citing a "tree inspection" as the reason. Elsewhere, administrators blamed snow removal problems or lingering COVID-19 restrictions. In another location, authorities argued that the very reason for the protest—internet censorship—did not exist in reality.
These varied excuses represent a coordinated effort to prevent demonstrations against moves to restrict Telegram, Russia's second-most popular messaging app behind WhatsApp. Mindful of the severe crackdown on dissent since the invasion of Ukraine four years ago, many activists decided against holding unauthorized rallies, even when their protests weren't directly about the war.
Discontent Spans Political Spectrum
"Clearly the situation has changed, the laws have become stricter, but the protest hasn't gone anywhere," said Alexander Sustov, a legislator in Russia's far eastern Primorye region where a pro-Telegram rally was blocked last month. "Discontent remains. And any ban only fuels that discontent."
The blocking of Telegram represents Russia's latest move to bring the internet under tighter government control. Thousands of websites and platforms are already blocked, along with multiple virtual private networks that allow users to circumvent censorship. Widespread cellphone internet shutdowns frequently leave only government-approved websites available to users.
Telegram's Widespread Usage and Military Importance
Telegram trails only WhatsApp—which is also severely restricted—in popularity among Russians. The platform is widely used by government agencies for their official social media presence, as well as by pro-Kremlin commentators and military bloggers with hundreds of thousands of followers.
Authorities have encouraged users to switch to MAX, a government-backed messaging app that critics describe as a state surveillance tool. Military bloggers have criticized moves against Telegram, arguing it serves as an indispensable communications tool for Russian troops in Ukraine and for activists running crowdfunding campaigns to support Moscow's forces.
Although the government initially promised not to restrict Telegram on the battlefield, signals from the Kremlin have shifted. During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin for International Women's Day, a servicewoman called Telegram "an adversarial communications tool" and agreed with Putin when he stated that "the use of communications systems that are not ours, not under our control, poses a danger to personnel" in battle.
Protests Stifled from Moscow to Siberia
The blocking of Telegram has prompted action from various political forces, including those who generally support the war or the Kremlin. Political analyst Abbas Gallyamov noted that widespread dismay and the lack of a clear narrative to justify the restrictions made "people feel like they can afford to protest here."
Last month, members of Other Russia—an ultranationalist, pro-war group—blocked the entrance to the Moscow office of state media and internet regulator Roskomnadzor with a bicycle cable and displayed a banner saying: "Give us an internet without supervision, (and) Russia without Roskom-disgrace." All participants were arrested, with the Moscow activists facing criminal charges.
Regional branches of the Communist Party, which generally supports the Kremlin, attempted to organize rallies in several locations:
- In Siberia's Altai region, they were turned down after local officials said claims of an internet clampdown were "at odds with reality"
- In southern Krasnodar, a rally for later in March has been authorized on the outskirts of the city
- In the northern cities of Naryan-Mar and Syktyvkar, Communist Party activists managed to hold pickets with placards saying, "It is not up to officials to decide what we read," and "The internet is not a prison"
These successes proved exceptional, with authorities elsewhere refusing to allow rallies or blocking them at the last minute.
Last-Minute Cancellations and Detentions
In the Ural Mountains city of Perm, organizers secured a permit for a March 15 demonstration, but just two hours before its start, activists were informed of a "potential emergency situation" at the rally site that made it unsuitable for gathering. Some still showed up, including 80-year-old Viktor Gilin, who unfurled a banner reading, "Vladimir Putin! I demand that you bring back freedom of thought and speech—the internet!" He was swiftly detained and fined.
In the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, 16 people were detained this month at the site of a planned pro-Telegram rally. Although authorization for protest at that square wasn't technically needed, participants arrived to find the site marked off with tape for a purported "tree inspection," according to activist Roman Malozyomov. Malozyomov and other activists, journalists, and some passersby were detained but released after a few hours.
Alternative Forms of Protest Emerge
With traditional rallies becoming increasingly difficult to organize, some activists are pursuing alternative measures. Konstantin Larionov in Kaluga, southwest of Moscow, and 41 others filed a lawsuit against Roskomnadzor and other government officials last year, arguing that restrictions on Telegram and WhatsApp violate their free speech and privacy rights.
Larionov encouraged others to join by petitioning the court via email, and the number of plaintiffs swelled to 105. "It was encouraging to see people 'from different parts of the country' willing to take part," he said. Although the court sided with authorities and his appeal was lost, Larionov plans to take the case all the way to the Supreme Court.
Malozyomov noted that small, authorized rallies on issues such as high utility costs are often permitted in Novosibirsk because "the authorities are trying to give people an opportunity to vent, so that the tension doesn't build up."
Broader Context of Protest in Russia
Rallies have become rare since anti-war protests were brutally suppressed in 2022, with political prosecutions skyrocketing and laws restricting dissent multiplying. However, smaller demonstrations have persisted in various forms:
- Wives of soldiers picketed at the Kremlin and Defense Ministry in 2024
- Over 1,000 people gathered in Bashkortostan region that same year to protest the jailing of a local activist, resulting in mass arrests
- Farmers in Siberia protested this month over cattle culling they deemed unwarranted
- Workers at a woodworking plant in northern Komi rallied to demand back pay
- Hundreds joined an authorized rally in Vladivostok in October to protest increased car registration fees
Activist Anton Isakov in Siberia's Tomsk recently managed to organize authorized demonstrations against the blocking of popular online game platform Roblox and another against animal cruelty. He noted that if authorities allow protests, "there are ready participants because of the many issues that people want to speak out about." His attempts to secure a permit for a pro-Telegram rally have been refused so far.
Larionov admits the ability to protest in Russia has shrunk but believes it's important to keep trying. "We are, maybe, retreating a little bit, but we're not giving up," he said.
Analyst Gallyamov suggests the Telegram protests are more about signaling popular discontent than "fighting the regime," but adds that "it is another crack in the foundation" of Putin's rule.
Unconfirmed media reports predict the coming weeks will see a complete blocking of Telegram, which in December 2025 had 93.6 million monthly users in Russia—approximately 76% of the population, according to monitoring group Mediascope. This week, activists in several regions filed for authorization of more rallies on March 29, with some applications already swiftly rejected.
