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| Protests for Navalny across Russia on Putin birthday | Protests for Navalny across Russia on Putin birthday |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| More than 250 people have been arrested as supporters of opposition leader Alexei Navalny hold protests in some 80 cities across Russia, reports say. | More than 250 people have been arrested as supporters of opposition leader Alexei Navalny hold protests in some 80 cities across Russia, reports say. |
| They are demanding he be allowed to stand in 2018 presidential elections. | They are demanding he be allowed to stand in 2018 presidential elections. |
| Clashes and dozens of arrests have been reported in St Petersburg, where the main protest has been taking place. | |
| The rallies coincide with President Vladimir Putin's 65th birthday. Most are unauthorised, including those in Moscow and St Petersburg. | The rallies coincide with President Vladimir Putin's 65th birthday. Most are unauthorised, including those in Moscow and St Petersburg. |
| Mr Navalny is currently serving 20 days in jail for repeatedly violating a law on organising public meetings. | Mr Navalny is currently serving 20 days in jail for repeatedly violating a law on organising public meetings. |
| It is the third time this year that Mr Navalny has been jailed. | It is the third time this year that Mr Navalny has been jailed. |
| Russia's electoral authorities say he cannot stand in the March vote because of a separate suspended sentence. | Russia's electoral authorities say he cannot stand in the March vote because of a separate suspended sentence. |
| In recent months he has travelled across Russia in a bid to bolster his makeshift election campaign. | In recent months he has travelled across Russia in a bid to bolster his makeshift election campaign. |
| Mr Navalny had been due to attend the main rally taking place on Saturday evening in St Petersburg, Mr Putin's home city. | Mr Navalny had been due to attend the main rally taking place on Saturday evening in St Petersburg, Mr Putin's home city. |
| As many as 3,000 people were at the demonstration in Russia's second city, many of them carrying "Navalny 2018" banners. | As many as 3,000 people were at the demonstration in Russia's second city, many of them carrying "Navalny 2018" banners. |
| Media reports say there were a large number of arrests after a group of demonstrators tried to break through a police line. | Media reports say there were a large number of arrests after a group of demonstrators tried to break through a police line. |
| According to the human rights website OVD-Info, 62 people were detained. | |
| Several other organisers of the rally and leaders of the pro-democracy group Open Russia - sponsored by exiled former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky - were arrested in the city earlier on Saturday, the website said. | Several other organisers of the rally and leaders of the pro-democracy group Open Russia - sponsored by exiled former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky - were arrested in the city earlier on Saturday, the website said. |
| Earlier several people were arrested as hundreds rallied in Moscow's Pushkin Square, though all were reportedly later released. | Earlier several people were arrested as hundreds rallied in Moscow's Pushkin Square, though all were reportedly later released. |
| Police urged people to disperse but did not move to break up the rally. Some protesters marched towards the Kremlin, but were blocked by police. | Police urged people to disperse but did not move to break up the rally. Some protesters marched towards the Kremlin, but were blocked by police. |
| Elsewhere demonstrations ranged from a few dozen people to more than 100 in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. | Elsewhere demonstrations ranged from a few dozen people to more than 100 in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. |
| Protest organisers were pre-emptively detained in Smolensk, Tver, Stavropol, Irkutsk, Yakutsk and Perm, media reports say. | Protest organisers were pre-emptively detained in Smolensk, Tver, Stavropol, Irkutsk, Yakutsk and Perm, media reports say. |
| OVD-Info put the total number of arrests at 271 in 26 cities, with 57 in Yaroslavl, 21 in Krasnodar and 20 in Lipetsk. |