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| Alexei Navalny: Hundreds detained in protests across Russia | Alexei Navalny: Hundreds detained in protests across Russia |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Police used batons to break up protests in Vladivostok | Police used batons to break up protests in Vladivostok |
| Hundreds of people have been detained as police try to stop nationwide protests in Russia in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny. | Hundreds of people have been detained as police try to stop nationwide protests in Russia in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny. |
| Mr Navalny's wife, Yulia, said she had been detained at a protest in the capital Moscow, where officers were breaking up the demonstrations. | |
| Thousands of people have already taken part in rallies in Russia's Far East. | |
| Mr Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most high-profile critic, called for protests after his arrest last weekend. | Mr Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most high-profile critic, called for protests after his arrest last weekend. |
| He was detained on 17 January after he flew back to Moscow from Berlin, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent attack in Russia last August. | He was detained on 17 January after he flew back to Moscow from Berlin, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent attack in Russia last August. |
| On his return, he was immediately taken into custody and found guilty of violating parole conditions. He says it is a trumped-up case designed to silence him, and called on his supporters to protest. | On his return, he was immediately taken into custody and found guilty of violating parole conditions. He says it is a trumped-up case designed to silence him, and called on his supporters to protest. |
| Who is Russia's vociferous Putin critic? | Who is Russia's vociferous Putin critic? |
| 'Let him go!' - Navalny activists defy bitter cold | 'Let him go!' - Navalny activists defy bitter cold |
| Several of Mr Navalny's close aides, including a spokeswoman, have also been detained in the run up to Saturday's protests. | Several of Mr Navalny's close aides, including a spokeswoman, have also been detained in the run up to Saturday's protests. |
| Prior to the rallies, Russian authorities had promised a tough crackdown, with police saying any unauthorised demonstrations and provocations would be "immediately suppressed". | Prior to the rallies, Russian authorities had promised a tough crackdown, with police saying any unauthorised demonstrations and provocations would be "immediately suppressed". |
| Who else has been detained? | |
| OVD Info, an independent NGO that monitors rallies, said that more than 800 people had been detained so far in protests across the country. | |
| Thousands are currently attending a protest in Moscow's central Pushkin Square, where police have erected metal barriers to deter demonstrators. | |
| Russia's interior ministry said 4,000 had turned up in Moscow, but opposition sources say it may be as high as 15,000. | Russia's interior ministry said 4,000 had turned up in Moscow, but opposition sources say it may be as high as 15,000. |
| One witness told Reuters at least 100 people may have been detained there already. | One witness told Reuters at least 100 people may have been detained there already. |
| Among them is Lyubov Sobol, a prominent aide of Mr Navalny who had already been fined for urging Russians to join the protests. She tweeted a video of police roughly pulling her away from an interview with reporters. | |
| Момент задержания Любови Соболь pic.twitter.com/8Qr0xjhoDG | |
| Mr Navalny's wife, Yulia, also said she was being held by police at the same protest, posting an image on her Instagram account with the caption: "Apologies for the poor quality. Very bad light in the police van." | |
| A post shared by @yulia_navalnaya | |
| Several of Mr Navalny's key aides had already been taken into police custody in the days leading up to Saturday's protests, including his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh. | |
| Prominent Navalny activists are also being held in the cities of Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Krasnodar. | |
| At the scene - by Steve Rosenberg, Moscow correspondent | |
| Moscow's Pushkin square is packed with anti-government protesters. "Freedom to Navalny" they're chanting, "Putin go away!" | |
| There are long lines of riot police around the square and down Moscow's main street, Tverskaya, less than a mile from the Kremlin. | |
| "This is an illegal gathering" the police are announcing through loudspeakers, "please leave." | |
| There's a cacophony of car horns sounded by drivers passing the square, a show of support for the protesters. | |
| One driver had hung a pair of underpants out of his car window, a reference to Mr Navalny's poisoning. The Novichok nerve agent had allegedly been applied to Alexei Navalny's underwear. | |
| One woman in the crowd told me she decided to take part in the protest because "Russia has been turned into a prison camp," and to support the country's most prominent opposition figure, who is behind bars. | |
| Where else have there been protests? | |
| Russia's Far East saw some of the first protests on Saturday, with people braving the extreme cold in a show of support for Mr Navalny. | Russia's Far East saw some of the first protests on Saturday, with people braving the extreme cold in a show of support for Mr Navalny. |
| Attendees at a small protest in the Siberian city of Yakutsk saw temperatures dip as low as -50C (-58F). | Attendees at a small protest in the Siberian city of Yakutsk saw temperatures dip as low as -50C (-58F). |
| One independent news source, Sota, said at least 3,000 people had joined a demonstration in the city of Vladivostok but local authorities there put the figure at 500. | One independent news source, Sota, said at least 3,000 people had joined a demonstration in the city of Vladivostok but local authorities there put the figure at 500. |
| AFP footage showed riot police in Vladivostok running into a crowd, and beating some of the protesters with batons. | AFP footage showed riot police in Vladivostok running into a crowd, and beating some of the protesters with batons. |
| Police started breaking up groups of protesters before the protest began in Moscow's Pushkin Square | |
| Protesters - and police - braved freezing conditions in Yakutsk | Protesters - and police - braved freezing conditions in Yakutsk |
| Meanwhile, there were reports of disruption to mobile phone and internet coverage in Russia on Saturday - though it is not known if this is related to the protests. | Meanwhile, there were reports of disruption to mobile phone and internet coverage in Russia on Saturday - though it is not known if this is related to the protests. |
| The social media app TikTok had been flooded with videos promoting the demonstrations and sharing viral messages about Mr Navalny. | The social media app TikTok had been flooded with videos promoting the demonstrations and sharing viral messages about Mr Navalny. |
| In response, Russia's official media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, demanded that TikTok take down any information "encouraging minors to act illegally", threatening large fines. | In response, Russia's official media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, demanded that TikTok take down any information "encouraging minors to act illegally", threatening large fines. |
| Russia's education ministry has also told parents not to allow their children to attend any demonstrations. | Russia's education ministry has also told parents not to allow their children to attend any demonstrations. |
| In a push to gain support ahead of the protests, Mr Navalny's team released a video about a luxury Black Sea resort that they allege belongs to President Putin - an accusation denied by the Kremlin. | In a push to gain support ahead of the protests, Mr Navalny's team released a video about a luxury Black Sea resort that they allege belongs to President Putin - an accusation denied by the Kremlin. |
| The video has been watched by more than 65m people. | The video has been watched by more than 65m people. |