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Alexei Navalny: Hundreds detained in protests across Russia | Alexei Navalny: Hundreds detained in protests across Russia |
(about 2 hours 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 Moscow, where tens of thousands have gathered. | |
They were met by large numbers of riot police in the capital's Pushkin Square, and beaten back with batons. | |
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 has called on his supporters to protest. | |
Prior to the rallies, Russian authorities had promised a tough crackdown, with police saying any unauthorised demonstrations and provocations would be "immediately suppressed". Several of Mr Navalny's close aides, including his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh, were arrested. | |
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 |
OVD Info, an independent NGO that monitors rallies, said that more than 1,600 people had been detained during protests across the country on Saturday. | |
Teenagers were among the many Navalny supporters who joined the demonstration in Moscow's central Pushkin Square. They were later forced by police to disperse to neighbouring streets. | |
Russia's interior ministry said 4,000 had turned up in Moscow, but opposition sources and reporters on the ground say it was in the tens of thousands. | |
According to OVD Info, more than 500 people were detained in Moscow alone. | |
Among them was 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 | 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." | 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 | A post shared by @yulia_navalnaya |
Prominent Navalny activists are also being held in the cities of Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Krasnodar. | Prominent Navalny activists are also being held in the cities of Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Krasnodar. |
At the scene - by Steve Rosenberg, Moscow correspondent | 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!" | 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. | 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." | "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. | 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 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. | 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. |
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 | 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. |