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Russia election: Protesters defy rally ban in Moscow | |
(40 minutes later) | |
Russian protesters defying a police ban on unapproved rallies in Moscow have been facing off with Putin supporters on a square in the city centre. | |
Protesters chanted slogans against the ruling party as the Putin loyalists beat drums and chanted "Putin, Russia", and police made arrests. | |
Police and elite interior troops have been patrolling the city since a rally on Monday over alleged election fraud. | |
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has played down losses by his party. | |
United Russia won Sunday's parliamentary election with just under 50% of the vote, a sharp drop in its support. | |
Correspondents say the result reflects Mr Putin's declining popularity ahead of his bid for the Russian presidency in March. | Correspondents say the result reflects Mr Putin's declining popularity ahead of his bid for the Russian presidency in March. |
Observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) say the election was slanted in favour of Mr Putin's party, United Russia. | Observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) say the election was slanted in favour of Mr Putin's party, United Russia. |
Rival demonstrations | |
Live video from Moscow's Triumphal Square, on a major road artery close to the Kremlin, showed crowds of rival demonstrators shouting slogans on Tuesday evening. | |
The jerky footage, broadcast over the internet by the Russian citizen journalism outlet Ridus, also appears to show police intervening. | |
Boris Nemtsov, a liberal opposition figure, is said to have been detained at the rally. | |
An opposition politician at the earlier protest, Ilya Yashin, has been jailed for 15 days for disobeying police. | |
The Russian interior ministry has denied any extra security measures in Moscow, saying that police and troop movements in the city were a "rotation". | The Russian interior ministry has denied any extra security measures in Moscow, saying that police and troop movements in the city were a "rotation". |
Its press service told Interfax news agency that 51,500 police including 2,000 interior troops had been on a state of alert since 1 December, as part of election preparations. | Its press service told Interfax news agency that 51,500 police including 2,000 interior troops had been on a state of alert since 1 December, as part of election preparations. |
"Statements that extra forces are being drafted into Moscow do not correspond to reality," it said. | "Statements that extra forces are being drafted into Moscow do not correspond to reality," it said. |
Are you in Russia? Are you in Moscow? What do you think of the situation after the election? Send us your comments and experiences. | Are you in Russia? Are you in Moscow? What do you think of the situation after the election? Send us your comments and experiences. |