An employee of a popular Russian state-owned television station interrupted a nightly news broadcast on Monday to protest against the invasion of Ukraine.
Marina Ovsyannikova, who is an editor at Channel One, ran into the scene behind the newsreader, carrying a sign that read: “No war. Stop the war. Don’t believe propaganda. They are lying to you here.”
She was also shouting: “Stop the war. No to war”.
The newsreader continued to read from the teleprompter, talking louder in an attempt to drown out Ovsyannikova. The woman’s sign and shouting could be heard and seen for several seconds, before the channel cut away.
Marina Ovsyannikova, the woman who protested Russian disinfo and the war on Ukraine live on Russian state TV has been arrested. This act of BRAVERY needs to be seen by all. pic.twitter.com/JBOJ4u3b6o
— VoteVets (@votevets) March 14, 2022
OVD-Info, an independent human rights group, said Ovsyannikova was arrested shortly after her protest.
Ovsyannikova recorded a video message prior to her protest, in which she denounced the war and said she was ashamed to have been spreading Putin’s propaganda as an employee at Channel One.
“What is happening in Ukraine right now is a crime, and Russia is the aggressor country. The responsibility for this aggression lies on the conscience of only one person. This person is Vladimir Putin,” she said.
“My father is Ukrainian, my mother is Russian. They have never been enemies. This necklace on my neck is like a symbol of the need for Russia to immediately stop this fratricidal war. Our people can still make peace.
“Unfortunately, during these past years, I have been working at Channel One, involved in Kremlin propaganda. I am very ashamed of this. Ashamed because I allowed lies to be told from the TV screen.
“Right now the whole world has turned away from us. Ten generations of our descendants will not be able to wash off the shame of this fratricidal war.”
Ovsyannikova urged people in Russia to protest the war.
“We are Russian people. A thinking and smart people. Only we have the power to stop this madness. Go to protests. Do not be afraid. They cannot put us all in jail.”
Russian authorities have cracked down heavily on Russian protestors and independent journalists since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Putin has now criminalised protesting against the war and the broadcasting of so-called “fake news” about Ukraine, referring to anything other than the official government narrative. Penalties can be as severe as a 15-year prison sentence.
More than two dozen media outlets in Russia have been blocked or closed since the Ukraine invasion, and social media including Facebook and Instagram has been banned. It means most Russians can only access state-owned media which closely follows the Kremlin line.