Navalny’s Funeral Draws Thousands, But Ends Peacefully & Without Incident

The funeral and burial of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny has been completed without incident Friday at a neighborhood church in a Moscow district.

Many reports cited “thousands” of mourners and supporters present, while CNN said there were “many hundreds” that converged on Borisovsky cemetery. Some mourners chanted “Thank you for your son” to his mother Lyudmila Navalnaya and others yelled anti-war slogans, with yet fewer reportedly shouted “Putin is a murderer”. 

But things stayed peaceful and organized, which was a big question given Moscow authorities were reportedly worried Navalny’s public funeral could turn into a large anti-Putin protest later.

His legal team had previously announced: “Thousands of people are coming to bid their farewell. There will be a small pause now. The grave is being completely covered over. Wreaths will be laid. And then everyone can enter [the cemetery].”

While there was a heavy Moscow police presence at the funeral proceedings, only one person has been reported detained after he’s said to have shouted while waiting in line to see the grave, “Who killed Navalny?” 

Several police vans have pulled up to the Borisovskoye cemetery, and at least one person waiting in line to see Navalny’s grave was reportedly detained after he shouted “Who killed Navalny?” 

Nationwide, regional media said at least 21 people were arrested at pop-up memorial events for Navalny’s passing. According to some of the international reaction via CNN Friday:

• European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed condolences to Navalny’s family and friends in a post on X, formerly Twitter. He said the EU ambassador to Russia is among several European diplomats attending the funeral. “Navalny’s beliefs will not disappear – ideas cannot be tortured, poisoned or killed. He remains an inspiration for many in Russia and beyond,” he wrote. 
• The United Kingdom’s Foreign Minister David Cameron wrote on X: “Putin tried to silence Alexey Navalny. But the world was watching. On the day of his funeral, we remember his spirit of defiance in the face of brutality from the Russian regime, and his courage in standing up to corruption. We must continue to hold Russia to account.”
• Poland’s embassy in Russia posted that its ambassador to Russia was one of several to attend the service and also said Russian police were blocking mourners from entering the church. “The police block the entrance to the Orthodox church. Ambassador Krajewski among colleagues from New Zealand, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Australia. Crowds of people are trying to bid farewell to the opposition leader. R.I.P,” it said. The post was reposted by the Polish foreign ministry.

Coverage of the anti-Putin activist’s funeral has taken over the front pages of several mainstream US media news sites, following his death last month in a Russian far northern prison.

Mourners for Alexei Navalny chanting “No to war!” on the way to pay their respects after his funeral pic.twitter.com/IMwHUfqzr7

— max seddon (@maxseddon) March 1, 2024

These outlets have tended to emphasize the potential for an ‘opposition’ uprising in Russia inspired by Navalny. For example the WSJ introduced:

Thousands of people defied the threat of arrest by attending the funeral of Alexei Navalny in Moscow, embracing one of the last remaining avenues to register their anger at President Vladimir Putin as well as mourning one of the few politicians capable of standing up to the Russian leader.

The Kremlin had warned Russians against attending what it called spontaneous memorials for the opposition leader, who died in an Arctic prison camp last month. But security forces largely took a hands-off approach to the procession of mourners that made its way from the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God to the cemetery where Navalny was laid to rest. 

Some in the crowd shouted, “No to war.” Others joined in with calls of “Putin is a murderer” and “Free political prisoners.”

People are chanting “Freedom for political prisoners,” as they they make their way from the church to the cemetery. pic.twitter.com/hIACM1TCg2

— The Anti-Corruption Foundation (@ACF_int) March 1, 2024

Meanwhile The Associated Press and others have been declaring his widow Yulia Navalnaya as Russia’s “newest opposition leader” – in what appears a kind of Juan Guaidó moment to manufacture ‘mass support’ and ‘popularity’, though Alexei Navalny himself never polled more than two percent among the Russian population.