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How a viral video sparked massive anti-corruption protests in Russia

Sergey Gorkaev was one of nearly 1,000 people detained at the end of March during Russia’s largest anti-corruption demonstrations in half a decade. But he wasn’t on the streets.

Gorkaev was volunteering for a group of activists who were live-streaming the protests. In fact, everyone in the office that day was arrested, and several are still in jail. Known as the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the group helped spark the protests with a video, despite attempts to censor it, connecting Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to a series of lavish estates and accusing him of systematic corruption.

While the protests were suppressed, opposition supporters are determined to continue their campaign — as soon as their leaders get out of prison.

VICE News’ Josh Hersh traveled to Moscow where he met Gorkaev and visited the raided office of the Foundation.

This segment originally aired April 3, 2017, on VICE News Tonight on HBO.