Alexei Navalny is an anti-corruption blogger who over the years became opposition leader and leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. As such, he’s often exposed to intimidation from pro-Kremlin supporters.
However, this time he didn’t expect to be doused with a green antiseptic liquid.
The incident happened as Navalny was campaigning in the Siberian city of Barnaul. An unknown assailant walked up to him and pretended to shake his hand before flinging the liquid known in Russian as “zelyonka”.
Navalny wrote on Facebook that he feared it was an acid attack. To his relief, the antiseptic remains on skin for days but it’s harmless.
So the campaigner did what politicians do: turn the incident into an opportunity.
I will be opening a headquarters in Barnaul as if I am from the film The Mask! Cool. Even my teeth are green!” he tweeted, in reference to the superhero film featuring Jim Carrey.
“”. . ! pic.twitter.com/3puuPNCuwf
Alexey Navalny (@navalny) March 20, 2017
In another tweet he wrote: “Avatar? Mask? Shrek?”
? ? ?https://t.co/kjeFenzbJv pic.twitter.com/IvSXV7P4LA
Alexey Navalny (@navalny) March 20, 2017
This is a strange presumption on the Kremlin’s part: if they pour zelyonka over me, I will stop campaigning and organising rallies,” he added. Maybe they thought I would stop recording videos with a green face. But Ill do more, because more people will watch.”
After the incident, some Navalny supporters took to Twitter and Instagram to show solidarity with him by painting their faces green with the hashtag # (“Green Navalny”):
@Litvinenko_aa1 ! # #208 @navalny pic.twitter.com/NiXGfQgyti
(@SobolLubov) March 20, 2017
(@SobolLubov) March 20, 2017
eat more zeleni rebatishki # @navalny pic.twitter.com/XrHrzblHSH
Iskr (@Iskr) March 20, 2017
# #2018 pic.twitter.com/EzfRXAP6nl
(@_udemia) March 20, 2017
# #2018 # @navalny pic.twitter.com/OC08AMUGu1
(@Ksenia_Gusinsky) March 20, 2017
, ! ! # pic.twitter.com/7mWTAyWUCb
(@El_Dmi) March 20, 2017
. # pic.twitter.com/I2uqJdYpQK
(@_sergey_boyko) March 20, 2017
, . ##2018# pic.twitter.com/KNZKbAKA7b
Dmitry Sokolov (@sokolovdn) March 20, 2017
One blogger, Nikolai Danilov, was detained after he stood on Red Square with his face and hands painted green:
Read more: http://mashable.com/2017/03/21/alexei-navalny-green-liquid-russia-the-mask/