Moscow, SAEDNEWS, Jan. 31: Supporters of jailed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny have taken to the streets on Sunday to demand his release from prison. Police have detained more than 100 people at unsanctioned rallies in central Moscow.
Last Saturday saw a number of violent clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators, which appears to have triggered a even larger police response ahead of the latest events. In Moscow, security services have erected metal barriers, closing off the city center, including the area around the Kremlin. In an unprecedented step, at least in modern times, seven central subway stations were also closed.
Navalny's team, which originally called for a gathering near the iconic Lubyanka Building (the headquarters of the FSB) has instructed protesters to meet near the Krasnye Vorota and Sukharevskaya subway stations, further to the north of Europe's largest city.
Riot police have begun to detain people and escort them to police vans. Moscow’s top human rights official Tatyana Potyayeva told news outlet RIA Novosti that more than 120 had been detained.
According to opposition police-tracking NGO OVD Info, which has received some Western funding, more than 300 people had been detained in Moscow by 2pm local time.
The first wave of rallies in support of Navalny took place on January 23, some of which turned violent as police clashed with participants.
In Russia, as in almost all of Europe, mass gatherings are currently banned, to varying degrees, under regulations to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. In many cities, police used loudspeakers asking the crowds to disperse, and made arrests when people refused to leave.
Navalny remains in custody, awaiting a court ruling on whether he violated his probation terms. The court hearing is scheduled for February 2, and Navalny’s supporters plan on holding another rally that day (Source: Russia Today).
Putin Warns Pro-Navalny Protestors of Consequences of Illegal and Dangerous Demonstrations
