Yekaterina Duntsova, a journalist and politician, has called for a “home protest” in support of free internet access in Russia.

Writing in her Telegram channel, Duntsova said the authorities have been banning virtually all forms of street protest, and she wants to express her disagreement without bringing people into the streets.

All week, open your windows at 8 in the evening and make noise for a free internet — blow horns, whistle, bang on pots, turn on music, in any safe way and within the permissible noise level.

Duntsova said such a protest is formally not prohibited, but “we all understand how flexibly the law is interpreted today.”

She said she has sent appeals to President Vladimir Putin, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Federation Council Chair Valentina Matviyenko, Investigative Committee Chair Alexander Bastrykin, Internal Affairs Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, and Prosecutor General Alexander Gutsan, and called on anyone who wishes to do the same to address representatives of the authorities with the same question.

Yekaterina Duntsova is a journalist and former deputy of the Rzhev City Duma. In 2024, she planned to run in Russia’s presidential election, but the Central Election Commission refused to register her. She then tried to create her own political party, Rassvet, but the Justice Ministry refused to register it as well.

In May 2024, two months after the presidential election, Russian authorities designated Duntsova a foreign agent.