‘Against free speech’: State-sponsored rally protests Charlie Hebdo in Chechnya [video, photos]

Posted at 8:50 am on January 19, 2015 by Doug P.

Really enormous state-sponsored rally against #CharlieHebdo cartoons in #Chechnya today.
— Patrick Reevell (@Reevellp) January 19, 2015

A large protest against not just Charle Hebdo, but any media outlet that publishes Muhammad cartoons has taken place in Grozny, Chechnya:

Chechen leader Kadyrov at protests against #CharlieHebdo cartoons in #Grozny – LIVE NOW: http://t.co/7yVnZwqxng pic.twitter.com/SAsbBx6YyL
— RT (@RT_com) January 19, 2015

LIVE: Huge protests against Prophet Mohammed cartoons grip #Grozny: http://t.co/RKHvGk6RRe http://t.co/7yVnZwqxng pic.twitter.com/z6IYJb4NGd
— RT (@RT_com) January 19, 2015

‘We Love Prophet Mohammed’: #CharlieHedbo cartoon protesters in #Chechnya (PHOTOS, VIDEO) http://t.co/I4RSaC5ZCd pic.twitter.com/tz0CmmTQQ1
— RT (@RT_com) January 19, 2015

It's, um, great to see Chechen civil society burst back to life to protest against free speech #CharlieHebdo #Grozny http://t.co/zgCW05Pvt1
— David Osborn (@david_osborn) January 19, 2015

Mass anti- #CharlieHebdo protest is taking place in #Grozny #Chechnya, people from all over the Caucasus are arriving pic.twitter.com/W1fUKMUoS0
— Yury Barmin (@yurybarmin) January 19, 2015

?? Charlie Hebdo cartoon protest yesterday in Grozny, #Chechnya pic.twitter.com/PYNeoMhig9
— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) January 19, 2015

Russia is spinning CharlieHebdo against EU "@jason_corcoran: Kadyrov says he won't let insults against the prophet go without punishment…”
— romanzs (@romanzs) January 19, 2015

Still ongoing. Huge demonstration in Chechnya against #CharlieHebdo cartoons. Live feed: https://t.co/K7jLtx7BVj
— Simon Kruse (@crusoes) January 19, 2015

Million Muslims #Grozny #Chechnya Rally to protests Charlie Hebdo We all sacrifice for our beloved prophet Muhammad! pic.twitter.com/8YPR4HNXHg
— Dark Samurai (@GenjuroKibagami) January 19, 2015

Thousands are protesting in #Grozny Chechnya, against satirical cartoons of the prophet Muhammed. #CharlieHebdo pic.twitter.com/UNBpbfEpPP
— شمرية العراق (@MoonNor27) January 19, 2015

#Grozny hosting huge protest against publication in Western media of Prophet Mohammed cartoons. Live coverage: http://t.co/HtSPpul1NR
— Rebecca Trenner (@RebeccaTrenner) January 19, 2015

RT @parfitt_tom Panorama of Grozny demo against Mohammed caricatures. via @gmkorr pic.twitter.com/fFgo9yKca2 pic.twitter.com/ofsy34wF6Y
— Benjamin Bidder (@BenjaminBidder) January 19, 2015

‘We love prophet Mohammad’: #Chechnya’s Grozny protesting against cartoons http://t.co/IcdlNKgBXe #Charlie #Kadyrov pic.twitter.com/1PkSQQndNO
— Belsat in English (@Belsat_Eng) January 19, 2015

Unreal in Grozny: Kadyrov yells his head off with Allahu Akbar, balloons are released into the sky, the huge crowd yells Allahu Akbar.
— Ystri Ya (@ystriya) January 19, 2015

See thousands march against #CharlieHebdo in Chechnya http://t.co/wY48i7vrEA #Grozny
— Ruptly (@Ruptly) January 19, 2015

Reportedly not everybody wanted to be there:

Staged demo "against caricature of Prophet" in #Grozny. Women apparently begging to be allowed to go home. Via – @tvrain
— Michael Garrood (@MichaelGarrood) January 19, 2015

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