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| Thousands rally in Moscow in support of candidates barred from city council election | Thousands rally in Moscow in support of candidates barred from city council election |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A massive rally took place in Moscow, with opposition activists occupying one of the capital’s main avenues. The officially sanctioned event followed two unauthorized protests that resulted in scuffles and arrests. | |
| Throngs of anti-government activists showed up at Sakharov Avenue on Saturday, where an opposition rally – permitted by the mayor’s office – is taking place. Russia’s interior ministry estimated that over 20,000 people attended the event, while crowd-monitoring NGO White Counter put the number at 48,800. | |
| Traffic was suspended on the avenue, leaving it temporarily pedestrianized. A security perimeter with metal detectors was also set up to ensure safety, while riot police were positioned nearby. | Traffic was suspended on the avenue, leaving it temporarily pedestrianized. A security perimeter with metal detectors was also set up to ensure safety, while riot police were positioned nearby. |
| Russian rap musicians Face and Oxxxymiron who encouraged people to take to the streets joined the rally, as they had promised before the demonstration. | Russian rap musicians Face and Oxxxymiron who encouraged people to take to the streets joined the rally, as they had promised before the demonstration. |
| Lyubov Sobol, a member of an unregistered party led by Aleksey Navalny, tweeted that she had been detained ahead of the rally. | Lyubov Sobol, a member of an unregistered party led by Aleksey Navalny, tweeted that she had been detained ahead of the rally. |
| The interior ministry claims that "some organizers" of the rally informed them that Sobol and other protesters were preparing provocations. | The interior ministry claims that "some organizers" of the rally informed them that Sobol and other protesters were preparing provocations. |
| Russian opposition groups have held unauthorized, large-scale protests for the past two weekends, after 57 independent candidates were barred from running for seats in Moscow’s 45-member municipal legislature. Local authorities cited irregularities such as fraudulent signatures as the reason for their disqualification. | Russian opposition groups have held unauthorized, large-scale protests for the past two weekends, after 57 independent candidates were barred from running for seats in Moscow’s 45-member municipal legislature. Local authorities cited irregularities such as fraudulent signatures as the reason for their disqualification. |
| Opposition activists – including close allies of anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny – urged followers to take to streets and to storm the city council. Police increased security measures during both protests, which eventually resulted in over 2,300 people being detained. | Opposition activists – including close allies of anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny – urged followers to take to streets and to storm the city council. Police increased security measures during both protests, which eventually resulted in over 2,300 people being detained. |
| While most of them were promptly released, some were charged with provoking mass unrest and for public disturbances. Separately, law enforcement agencies have opened a probe into the alleged laundering of $15 million by an anti-corruption NGO led by Navalny. | While most of them were promptly released, some were charged with provoking mass unrest and for public disturbances. Separately, law enforcement agencies have opened a probe into the alleged laundering of $15 million by an anti-corruption NGO led by Navalny. |
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