According to Russian state-owned media, American citizen Alicia Day, 34, was arrested and charged earlier today by Russian law enforcement for walking a newly purchased calf through Red Square in Moscow. The initial report reads below:
“The day before, law enforcement officers promptly detained a woman on Red Square who was walking there with a calf. She turned out to be a 34-year-old US citizen. According to the detainee, she bought the animal on Avito and decided to walk it,” according to lawn enforcement.
According to state owned media, Day was in violation of Art. 20.2. Administrative Code (“Violation of the established procedure for holding a meeting, rally, demonstration, procession or picketing”) if which carries an administrative arrest for up to 15 days, a fine or compulsory work. Law enforcement believes that Day is a “vegan activist”.
Russian state owned media secured an interview with Day who said that she purchased the calf because “she did not want it to die”, then took it on a walk to see “one of the most beautiful places in the world”. She has been fined 20,000 Rubles (285 USD), and reportedly will serve the full 15 days in detention.
This incident is another vindication of the U.S. State Departments warning that American citizens should not visit the Russian Federation during degraded relations due to heightened risk of political retaliation through arrests and fines.
