The rally took place yesterday on the eighth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, as a celebratory event featuring patriotic speeches.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in front of 100,000 flag-waving supporters at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, but videos posted to twitter show residents leaving the rally less than thirty minutes into the event.
Reports have emerged on social media that claim Moscow residents were offered 500 rubles (currently worth around $6.30) to attend.
But perhaps the biggest talking point from the rally was the moment the television broadcast suddenly cut during Vladimir Putin’s speech.
Putin just vanished mid sentence off Russian state TV.
What happened? Why did they cut Putin off?
pic.twitter.com/9iHlCxcmhy— KT CounterIntelligence (@KremlinTrolls) March 18, 2022
The Russian President was in the middle of a sentence when the broadcast cut from Putin’s speech and began playing a concert performed by Russian singer Oleg Gazmanov.
Following the event, journalist Kevin Rothrock took to Twitter to share footage of residents leaving the stadium after they were allegedly paid 500 rubles to attend.
Folks in Russia were paid 500 rubles to show up to a Pro-War rally. A vast majority left as soon as they had proof they showed up – so they could get paid.
Learn a lesson from Trump's rallies, Vlad – only pay AFTER, if at all.
— J.C. Young (@WriterJCYoung) March 18, 2022
Footage has also surfaced that shows crowd members booing during Putins speech, which was not included in the television broadcast, but in other footage, the crowd can audibly be heard cheering “Russia, Russia, Russia”.
Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova took a huge risk on live television, appearing on a Kremlin-run broadcast, holding an anti-war protest sign.
She later explained, “To the Russians, I wanted to show them you are zombified by this Kremlin propaganda – don’t believe it.”
