Thousands demand fair elections in Moscow

Tens of thousands have attended Moscow’s largest opposition rally since 2011, independent monitors say. Up to 60,000 people reportedly gathered in the rain to demand fair elections.

The protest was officially authorised but dozens of people were arrested as they moved to other parts of the city, many outside President Vladimir Putin’s offices in the city centre.

The OVD-Info protest monitor said on social media that Russian police detained 72 people on Saturday over opposition protests staged in several cities. The monitor said 55 people had been detained in St Petersburg, 10 in Moscow and seven in Roston-on-Don.

Unlike the previous protests, the Saturday gathering in central Moscow was approved by city authorities. In the earlier demonstrations, thousands of people were detained, sometimes violently. Unauthorised rallies on the last two Saturdays saw hundreds detained. This is the fifth demonstration in a month.

Many Muscovites are unhappy that opposition candidates have been banned from running in municipal elections in September, but anger has increased after apparent incidences of police brutality in previous weeks.

Via BBC/ DW