A military course for schoolchildren taught youngsters how to disperse street protests in Russia’s fourth largest city of Yekaterinburg, local media reported.
Researchers registered at least 1,000 more protests in 2018 than in previous years as Russians took to the streets over pension age hikes, rising gas prices and other issues. Activists face a range of hurdles organizing and holding these events, including difficulties with obtaining approval and being subjected to intimidation tactics, researchers found.
A patriotic course in Yekaterinburg staged a live demonstration with men armed with sticks and Molotov cocktails playing violent protesters, the 66.ru news site reported Thursday.
“The leader of the uprising was tied up after a brief confrontation,” the outlet reported. “The other participants fled.”
After completing the course, the kids took an oath and were accepted into the Yunarmiya, a patriotic youth organization sponsored by the Defense Ministry.
Photographs showed a dozen children watching the standoff between the masked protesters and uniformed men in military police attire in the snow.