Russia blocks protests over Telegram restrictions
Mar 22nd 2026 ยท Russian Federation
Officials across multiple Russian regions have cited a range of excuses to block protests against restrictions on Telegram, deterring most rallies while some activists pursued legal challenges or staged limited pickets.
- Authorities in nearly a dozen regions used varied pretexts to prevent demonstrations against limits on the Telegram messaging app.
- Many planned rallies were blocked at the last minute or deterred, prompting activists to scale down or cancel events.
- Officials cited reasons such as tree inspections, snow removal, COVID rules, and unspecified emergencies to deny permits.
- A few activists won small pickets or filed lawsuits challenging the bans, but most court efforts so far have failed.
- Telegram is widely used in Russia and its proposed wider blocking has drawn criticism across the political spectrum and raised concerns about increased state internet control.