Russian authorities just arrested an entire conference hall full of people. I was one of them.

MOSCOW — For years, local politics have been the last bastion of pluralism in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. After the Kremlin cemented its control over national institutions — taming parliament, manipulating elections and denying registration to opposition parties — municipal legislatures have continued to provide a platform for regime opponents and independent politicians who often scored upset electoral victories despite the regime’s worst efforts. From Moscow to St. Petersburg to Siberia, local opposition lawmakers have made a visible dent in the Kremlin’s carefully crafted image of unchallenged political dominance.