Russians Locked Inside Stadium to Sit Through Putin’s ‘Patriotic’ Rally
Organizers reportedly warned they would block off exits once the event kicked off, apparently to avoid the embarrassment of guests snubbing the president’s speech.
Reuters
Russians who were herded into Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday to attend a pro-war rally featuring President Vladimir Putin have reportedly been barred from leaving the premises for the duration of the “patriotic” event. Organizers warned attendees that as soon as the rally kicks off, the exits will be closed and no one will be able to leave the stadium, according to the independent outlet Mozhem Obyasnit, which sent a correspondent to the event. The move is apparently in response to the embarrassment of attendees at a concert last year walking out en masse before Putin even took the stage. Unfortunately for the Russian leader, the threatened exit closures apparently did nothing to reverse that trend Wednesday: Many attendees were seen walking out of the stadium 25 minutes before it was set to kick off. Others in attendance told the outlet they had been ordered to go by their employers: “They forced us,” said one unnamed rally-goer.
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