Several opposition rallies, most of which were unsanctioned, took place in Russia on Sunday. A number of people were detained for disorderly conduct. Opposition figure Aleksey Navalny is among those detained in central Moscow.
Navalny was detained shortly after showing up for the event in the center of the Russian capital, media report.
He and a number of other protesters came despite failing to receive permission from the mayor’s office to hold a rally at the site of their choosing. The authorities suggested two alternative locations for the event, but the organizers rejected them.
READ MORE: Kremlin warns Navalny supporters against unsanctioned rall
Protests, some sanctioned and others in violation of a municipal ban, took place in other Russian cities on Sunday, including Novosibirsk, Barnaul, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk, and Vladivostok.
In St. Petersburg, an unsanctioned opposition rally was held just next to another unconnected gathering of demonstrators who rallied for traditional values.
The rally in Novosibirsk, which was sanctioned by the local authorities after a court ordered them to overturn a ban, attracted around 1,500 people, according to the mayor’s office. At another sanctioned event in Tomsk, around 400 protesters showed up, according to local law enforcement.
In Vladivostok, 25 activists have been detained by police for trying to violate a ban on public gatherings.
Police released those detained shortly afterwards. The usual procedure for such cases of detention (which is not an actual ‘arrest’) is to identify the individuals for potential administrative action and then release them.
Navalny called on his supporters to protest on Sunday, weeks after releasing a report on the alleged corruption of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. He accused the head of the Russian government of personal enrichment through embezzlement.
READ MORE: Medvedev’s spokesperson dismisses Navalny investigation report as elections propaganda
