Hundreds bowed before Navalny across Europe

Hundreds of people paid their respects to Alexei Navalny in cities across Europe after the Russian opposition leader was buried in Moscow.
In Berlin, several hundred people gathered in front of the Russian embassy, leaving flowers, lighting candles and putting up pictures of Navalny. Many of them cried.
Olga, a 24-year-old student who did not want to give her full name, laid flowers.
"I've been in Berlin for five years. I left Russia because I didn't agree with the politics there," she told AFP.
She remembers how she first encountered Navalny and how "propaganda" dismissed him as an ordinary blogger.
"I didn't agree with everything he said... but he woke me up to politics. Now it's clear that no one is going to do the work for us, that we have to try harder," added the student.
There were similar scenes in other German cities, including Münster, in the western part of the country.
As people mourned in Berlin, an excerpt of an interview with Navalny was broadcast, with Frank Sinatra's "My Way" playing in the background.
"Navalni represented freedom"
The same song was played at the ceremony in London, which was attended by about 300 people.
Here, too, there were flowers and messages praising Navalny and condemning the Kremlin, and the eyes of many mourners were teary.
Among the pictures of Navalny was a message asking: "Who's next?"
Anna, a 48-year-old Russian woman, had brought her 11-year-old daughter to the vigil.
"I want her to know what Navalny has done for all of us," she said. "Navalny represented freedom and hope for Russia."
She also declined to give her full name, saying she has family in Russia.
Living in the "free world", participating in the ceremony is the least we can do, Anna explained, praising the courage of people in Russia despite warnings from the Kremlin.
"The people who went there are heroes," the woman emphasized.
Pavel Tolmachev, a 17-year-old student in London from 2021, said: "I came here to find support among people who share my values."
"He represented the future of Russia, the true democratic values," he added.
"We will not surrender"
In Paris, dozens of mourners stood silently in the pouring rain at the war memorial on the Trocadero esplanade, across the river from the Eiffel Tower.
Fresh flowers were laid next to pictures of Navalny at a makeshift memorial in front of the monument.
Some of the placards at the site read: "Thank you" and "We will not surrender."
"Russia has lost hope, but Navalny will continue to live in people's hearts," said Nadezhda, a 38-year-old choreographer.
"So many people went to Moscow today. They are not afraid. I don't agree that Russians are slaves and Ukrainians are free. If the regime falls, people will quickly adapt," she added.
For security reasons, Nadezhda declined to give her full name, saying she was still traveling to Russia.
"For me, Navalny means freedom and hope for a better future," said Alexandra, who brought a bouquet of white tulips to the vigil.
"There is still hope. It is very important to keep hoping," she added.
Hundreds of people also gathered in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, at a makeshift memorial near the Russian embassy.
"For me, he is a hero," said 34-year-old designer Olga Zavarina. "We will continue to fight for his dream."
"Russia will be free," read one placard; "Heroes never die," read another.
Similar ceremonies were held in other cities, including the Armenian capital Yerevan, the Croatian capital Zagreb and Barcelona in Spain. /BGNES