Russian police arrested more than 30 people in central Moscow on Friday on the second day that peaceful opposition protesters were detained during a city-wide lockdown.

The new arrests came despite warnings from rights organisations such as Amnesty International and the Council of Europe that Moscow should not be using the coronavirus lockdown as a pretext to muzzle activists.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-records-highest-coronavirus-death-toll-in-24-hours-301813" hreflang="en">Russia records highest coronavirus death toll in 24 hours</a>

At least 35 people including popular journalists and municipal lawmakers were detained near the Moscow police headquarters, said OVD-Info, a website which tracks detentions at political protests.

Municipal deputy Yulia Galyamina posted on Facebook a picture of herself at a police station with the word "Freedom" scribbled on her surgical mask.&nbsp;

Since Thursday, protesters have been staging one-person pickets outside the Moscow police headquarters in response to the sentencing of prominent opposition activist and journalist Ilya Azar to 15 days in jail.

Russian police arrested more than 30 people in central Moscow on Friday on the second day that peaceful opposition protesters were detained during a city-wide lockdown.

Russian police arrested more than 30 people in central Moscow on Friday on the second day that peaceful opposition protesters were detained during a city-wide lockdown. The new arrests came despite warnings from rights organisations such as Amnesty International and the Council of Europe that Moscow should not be using the coronavirus lockdown as a pretext to muzzle activists. Also read: Russia records highest coronavirus death toll in 24 hours At least 35 people including popular journalists and municipal lawmakers were detained near the Moscow police headquarters, said OVD-Info, a website which tracks detentions at political protests. Municipal deputy Yulia Galyamina posted on Facebook a picture of herself at a police station with the word "Freedom" scribbled on her surgical mask. Since Thursday, protesters have been staging one-person pickets outside the Moscow police headquarters in response to the sentencing of prominent opposition activist and journalist Ilya Azar to 15 days in jail.

Over 30 detained by police at Moscow opposition protest

Another weekend of protests in Moscow, over 40 Russian cities joined the protest. Watch this video to know more.

Over 40 Russian cities joined another weekend of protest in Moscow

Russian opposition supporters plan a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-accuses-us-of-meddling-over-publication-of-protest-map-241738">major protest in Moscow</a> on Saturday after police detained thousands at recent demonstrations that have been among the largest since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012.

In recent weeks, thousands have attended street protests calling for free and fair elections after the exclusion of several opposition figures, including allies of top Putin critic Alexei Navalny, from local Moscow elections next month.

Riot police and the national guard have used more violent tactics than previously and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/1400-arrested-at-moscow-election-protest-238988">detained more than 2,000 at the last two rallies</a>, which were not authorised by city officials.&nbsp;

Most opposition candidates who have been banned from participating in the vote have been jailed for violating protest laws. &nbsp;

A dozen protesters including university students face criminal charges of "mass disorder" that call for lengthy jail terms, despite their supporters insisting protests were peaceful.

Saturday's rally has been authorised which means participants should not face detention for protesting at the agreed location, but Navalny, who is currently in jail, has urged supporters to walk peacefully through the city afterwards.

Moscow police and the powerful Investigative Committee issued a warning against participating in unsanctioned protests which it said would be "immediately halted."

Showing the movement's appeal to young Russians, popular electronic and rap musicians are expected to play at the rally and mainstream celebrities have announced they will attend.

One of Russia's most famous rappers, Oxxxymiron, urged his fans to go, as did a star YouTube blogger Yury Dud.

"Let's not accept it as normal when innocent people are thrown in jail or harshly beaten up by police," Dud wrote on Instagram to his 2.3 million followers.

'Attempt to gag us'

The latest demonstrations come as the authorities this week mounted their harshest attack yet on Navalny's team, focusing on his anti-corruption foundation which publishes investigations of officials close to Putin.

On Thursday investigators raided the foundation's office as part of a probe into alleged acceptance of donations of laundered money and a court froze the foundation's accounts.

"This is the most aggressive attempt yet to gag us," Navalny wrote in a blog entry he issued through lawyers while serving a 30-day sentence.

One of the foundation's lawyers, Lyubov Sobol, has been on hunger strike for weeks after being refused as a candidate in Moscow.&nbsp;

"These are all acts of political intimidation, political repression," she told journalists on Friday, condemning the criminal cases launched against activists as "fabricated and politically motivated."

As he enters his third decade in power, Putin's approval ratings have dropped significantly in recent months and critics say authorities fear any outlet calling for wider political change.

Moscow has even accused the US of encouraging people to attend protests after the embassy posted the route of a recent march along with warnings to avoid the area.

"The repressive scenario that the authorities are relying on can probably dampen down open discontent but is hardly likely to reach the root of the problem," wrote Vedomosti daily in an editorial.

"A large section of society is not represented in power."

Russian opposition supporters plan a major protest in Moscow on Saturday after police detained thousands at recent demonstrations that have been among the largest since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012.

Russian opposition supporters plan a major protest in Moscow on Saturday after police detained thousands at recent demonstrations that have been among the largest since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012. In recent weeks, thousands have attended street protests calling for free and fair elections after the exclusion of several opposition figures, including allies of top Putin critic Alexei Navalny, from local Moscow elections next month. Riot police and the national guard have used more violent tactics than previously and detained more than 2,000 at the last two rallies, which were not authorised by city officials. Most opposition candidates who have been banned from participating in the vote have been jailed for violating protest laws. A dozen protesters including university students face criminal charges of "mass disorder" that call for lengthy jail terms, despite their supporters insisting protests were peaceful. Saturday's rally has been authorised which means participants should not face detention for protesting at the agreed location, but Navalny, who is currently in jail, has urged supporters to walk peacefully through the city afterwards. Moscow police and the powerful Investigative Committee issued a warning against participating in unsanctioned protests which it said would be "immediately halted." Showing the movement's appeal to young Russians, popular electronic and rap musicians are expected to play at the rally and mainstream celebrities have announced they will attend. One of Russia's most famous rappers, Oxxxymiron, urged his fans to go, as did a star YouTube blogger Yury Dud. "Let's not accept it as normal when innocent people are thrown in jail or harshly beaten up by police," Dud wrote on Instagram to his 2.3 million followers. 'Attempt to gag us' The latest demonstrations come as the authorities this week mounted their harshest attack yet on Navalny's team, focusing on his anti-corruption foundation which publishes investigations of officials close to Putin. On Thursday investigators raided the foundation's office as part of a probe into alleged acceptance of donations of laundered money and a court froze the foundation's accounts. "This is the most aggressive attempt yet to gag us," Navalny wrote in a blog entry he issued through lawyers while serving a 30-day sentence. One of the foundation's lawyers, Lyubov Sobol, has been on hunger strike for weeks after being refused as a candidate in Moscow. "These are all acts of political intimidation, political repression," she told journalists on Friday, condemning the criminal cases launched against activists as "fabricated and politically motivated." As he enters his third decade in power, Putin's approval ratings have dropped significantly in recent months and critics say authorities fear any outlet calling for wider political change. Moscow has even accused the US of encouraging people to attend protests after the embassy posted the route of a recent march along with warnings to avoid the area. "The repressive scenario that the authorities are relying on can probably dampen down open discontent but is hardly likely to reach the root of the problem," wrote Vedomosti daily in an editorial. "A large section of society is not represented in power."

Russian opposition plans major Moscow protest after crackdown

More than 22,000 people packed a Moscow square Saturday to demand free and fair local polls, incensed by the authorities' refusal to put popular opposition candidates on the ballot.

Staging their largest protest in years, opposition leaders such as President Vladimir Putin's top opponent Alexei Navalny and ordinary Muscovites rallied after authorities refused to register independent candidates seeking to contest the September vote for the capital's parliament.

"This is my city!" the crowd chanted during the two-hour-long sanctioned rally.

"We will show them this is a dangerous game," Navalny bellowed from a stage.

"We should fight for our candidates," he said as the huge crowd cheered and waved Russian flags.&nbsp;

The 43-year-old threatened an even bigger rally next Saturday, near the mayor's office, unless Moscow's authorities register a new crop of popular politicians including Ilya Yashin and Lyubov Sobol within seven days.

After the rally, 16 independent candidates issued a joint statement demanding access to the ballot and accusing Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin of sparking a "political crisis" in the city of some 15 million.

Speaking at the rally, Navalny ally Sobol, who has been on a hunger strike for a week to protest the authorities' refusal to allow her to run, vowed to keep up the fight.

"I am sure that we will win," said the visibly fatigued 31-year-old lawyer, propped up by an ally on stage.

Many ordinary Russians have slammed what they called the blatant impunity of officials, saying people's patience was running thin.

"We are angry at the lawlessness," Alexander Polovinkin, a 21-year-old student, told AFP.

Police detained a handful of protesters, said the OVD-Info monitor, adding one of them had his arm broken.

'Stop lying'

Many protesters took direct aim at the 66-year-old Putin, who has brooked no dissent during his two decades in power.

"Putin lies," said one placard. "Stop lying to us," read another one.

Opposition candidate Ilya Yashin, who is a local councillor, said Putin must go. "I've lived half my life under Putin. I've had enough," the 36-year-old said.

Fellow opposition contender Dmitry Gudkov, who was also disqualified, accused the authorities of stealing not only people's votes but their very future.

"We've been living in an occupied country for the past 20 years," he said.

White Counter, an NGO that tracks participation in protest rallies, said about 22,500 people took part in Saturday's rally.&nbsp;

Navalny said it was the largest rally since 2012 when tens of thousands protested election fraud during parliamentary polls.

Police, which downplay&nbsp;turnout at opposition rallies, said 12,000 turned up.

Observers said that never before have Muscovites turned up in such great numbers to demand access for their candidates in local elections.&nbsp;

Opposition politicians fought tooth and nail to get on the ballot paper as they seek to capitalise on Putin's falling approval ratings and anger over declining living standards and unchecked corruption.

They were made to jump through countless hoops, and each had to collect roughly 5,000 signatures to be eligible.

'We are ghosts'

Electoral authorities this week still refused to register the opposition candidates, accusing them of faking some of the signatures.&nbsp;

Critics said some of the officials' reasoning bordered on the absurd.

The Kremlin dismissed the opposition's complaints, but many Russians are furious at what they perceive as electoral interference.

The opposition candidates staged smaller daily rallies throughout the week.

Many have also taken to social media in recent days to post messages or videos to prove they were not "dead souls."

At Saturday's rally, some protesters waved their passports in the air, chanting "We have come!"

Greg Yudin, a lecturer at the Higher School of Economics, said he and many other Muscovites discovered that their signatures were declared fake.

"All of us are ghosts. We are the nobodies," he said on Facebook this week.

Observer Kirill Rogov said the candidates' exclusion was "one of the largest frauds in Russia's electoral history".

"We are witnessing a major large-scale crime," he wrote on his blog.

Some 7.2 million Muscovites are eligible to elect 45 lawmakers to the local parliament, currently dominated by the United Russia ruling party.

More than 22,000 people packed a Moscow square Saturday to demand free and fair local polls, incensed by the authorities' refusal to put popular opposition candidates on the ballot.

More than 22,000 people packed a Moscow square Saturday to demand free and fair local polls, incensed by the authorities' refusal to put popular opposition candidates on the ballot. Staging their largest protest in years, opposition leaders such as President Vladimir Putin's top opponent Alexei Navalny and ordinary Muscovites rallied after authorities refused to register independent candidates seeking to contest the September vote for the capital's parliament. "This is my city!" the crowd chanted during the two-hour-long sanctioned rally. "We will show them this is a dangerous game," Navalny bellowed from a stage. "We should fight for our candidates," he said as the huge crowd cheered and waved Russian flags. The 43-year-old threatened an even bigger rally next Saturday, near the mayor's office, unless Moscow's authorities register a new crop of popular politicians including Ilya Yashin and Lyubov Sobol within seven days. After the rally, 16 independent candidates issued a joint statement demanding access to the ballot and accusing Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin of sparking a "political crisis" in the city of some 15 million. Speaking at the rally, Navalny ally Sobol, who has been on a hunger strike for a week to protest the authorities' refusal to allow her to run, vowed to keep up the fight. "I am sure that we will win," said the visibly fatigued 31-year-old lawyer, propped up by an ally on stage. Many ordinary Russians have slammed what they called the blatant impunity of officials, saying people's patience was running thin. "We are angry at the lawlessness," Alexander Polovinkin, a 21-year-old student, told AFP. Police detained a handful of protesters, said the OVD-Info monitor, adding one of them had his arm broken. 'Stop lying' Many protesters took direct aim at the 66-year-old Putin, who has brooked no dissent during his two decades in power. "Putin lies," said one placard. "Stop lying to us," read another one. Opposition candidate Ilya Yashin, who is a local councillor, said Putin must go. "I've lived half my life under Putin. I've had enough," the 36-year-old said. Fellow opposition contender Dmitry Gudkov, who was also disqualified, accused the authorities of stealing not only people's votes but their very future. "We've been living in an occupied country for the past 20 years," he said. White Counter, an NGO that tracks participation in protest rallies, said about 22,500 people took part in Saturday's rally. Navalny said it was the largest rally since 2012 when tens of thousands protested election fraud during parliamentary polls. Police, which downplay turnout at opposition rallies, said 12,000 turned up. Observers said that never before have Muscovites turned up in such great numbers to demand access for their candidates in local elections. Opposition politicians fought tooth and nail to get on the ballot paper as they seek to capitalise on Putin's falling approval ratings and anger over declining living standards and unchecked corruption. They were made to jump through countless hoops, and each had to collect roughly 5,000 signatures to be eligible. 'We are ghosts' Electoral authorities this week still refused to register the opposition candidates, accusing them of faking some of the signatures. Critics said some of the officials' reasoning bordered on the absurd. The Kremlin dismissed the opposition's complaints, but many Russians are furious at what they perceive as electoral interference. The opposition candidates staged smaller daily rallies throughout the week. Many have also taken to social media in recent days to post messages or videos to prove they were not "dead souls." At Saturday's rally, some protesters waved their passports in the air, chanting "We have come!" Greg Yudin, a lecturer at the Higher School of Economics, said he and many other Muscovites discovered that their signatures were declared fake. "All of us are ghosts. We are the nobodies," he said on Facebook this week. Observer Kirill Rogov said the candidates' exclusion was "one of the largest frauds in Russia's electoral history". "We are witnessing a major large-scale crime," he wrote on his blog. Some 7.2 million Muscovites are eligible to elect 45 lawmakers to the local parliament, currently dominated by the United Russia ruling party.

Russia: Over 20,000 rally in Moscow as election anger boils over

Thousands of people protested in central Moscow on Sunday against the city&#39;s plan to tear down Soviet-era apartment blocks as part of a controversial urban redevelopment programme.

The measure, announced in February by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, prompted an outcry from many residents who see a ploy to funnel state funds into construction companies.

It would also ride roughshod over property rights, they say, while forcing many homeowners to move to neighbourhoods with lower property values.&nbsp;

Muscovites yelled &quot;Hands off Moscow&quot; and &quot;No to demolition&quot; while shouting down envoys from the office of the mayor, a staunch supporter of President Vladimir Putin who had served as his chief of staff.

&quot;Let us keep our houses!&quot; fumed Svetlana Ilyina, a 59-year-old engineer. &quot;It&#39;s Sobyanin who should be demolished. This is in the interest of developers and the authorities who will receive huge kickbacks.&quot;

Moscow police said five thousand people attended the protest, while organisers said thirty thousand had gathered.&nbsp;

White Counter, an unofficial citizen group which places volunteers with counters at rally entrance points, put the turnout at just over twenty thousand.

&quot;Me and my girlfriend live in a quiet, leafy neighbourhood, and now they want to deport us to a less prestigious neighbourhood,&quot; said Pavel Kuznetsov, 38, whose home is in one of the buildings slated for demolition.

&quot;I felt anger, and that&#39;s putting it lightly,&quot; he told AFP.

Moscow and most other Russian cities have thousands of the prefab five-story buildings built in the 1960s and 1970s under Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

The city&#39;s previous administration had overseen a program to move people from the most worn-out &quot;khrushchevkas&quot;, as the buildings are known, to more modern housing.&nbsp;

But the current mayor is pushing for a more sweeping renovation program that would require extensive amendments to current zoning restrictions and other laws.

Supporters say the extensive project, initially valued at some 3.5 trillion rubles ($61 billion, 56 billion euros), would allow the city to replace the small, worn-out buildings with high-rise housing in the fast-developing capital of 12 million, which faces a housing crunch and rising rents.

A relevant bill passed parliament in a first reading but stalled after the outcry from apartment owners, which quickly escalated into a political issue.

Many opposition figures have supported the protest against the bill, with Alexei Navalny, a leading Putin critic who is campaigning for the presidency, visiting the rally on Sunday before he was led away by police as the crowd shouted, &quot;We&#39;re with you Navalny!&quot;

Rossiya 24 state TV meanwhile aired a programme touting the mayor&#39;s plans, while making no mention of the protest.

One of the mayor&#39;s aides, Anastasiya Rakova, tried to address the protesters Sunday but her voice was drowned out by shouts of &quot;Shame&quot; and &quot;Stop lying!&quot;

(AFP)

Muscovites yelled "Hands off Moscow" and "No to demolition" while shouting down envoys from the office of the mayor.

Thousands of people protested in central Moscow on Sunday against the city's plan to tear down Soviet-era apartment blocks as part of a controversial urban redevelopment programme. The measure, announced in February by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, prompted an outcry from many residents who see a ploy to funnel state funds into construction companies. It would also ride roughshod over property rights, they say, while forcing many homeowners to move to neighbourhoods with lower property values. Muscovites yelled "Hands off Moscow" and "No to demolition" while shouting down envoys from the office of the mayor, a staunch supporter of President Vladimir Putin who had served as his chief of staff. "Let us keep our houses!" fumed Svetlana Ilyina, a 59-year-old engineer. "It's Sobyanin who should be demolished. This is in the interest of developers and the authorities who will receive huge kickbacks." Moscow police said five thousand people attended the protest, while organisers said thirty thousand had gathered. White Counter, an unofficial citizen group which places volunteers with counters at rally entrance points, put the turnout at just over twenty thousand. "Me and my girlfriend live in a quiet, leafy neighbourhood, and now they want to deport us to a less prestigious neighbourhood," said Pavel Kuznetsov, 38, whose home is in one of the buildings slated for demolition. "I felt anger, and that's putting it lightly," he told AFP. Moscow and most other Russian cities have thousands of the prefab five-story buildings built in the 1960s and 1970s under Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. The city's previous administration had overseen a program to move people from the most worn-out "khrushchevkas", as the buildings are known, to more modern housing. But the current mayor is pushing for a more sweeping renovation program that would require extensive amendments to current zoning restrictions and other laws. Supporters say the extensive project, initially valued at some 3.5 trillion rubles ($61 billion, 56 billion euros), would allow the city to replace the small, worn-out buildings with high-rise housing in the fast-developing capital of 12 million, which faces a housing crunch and rising rents. A relevant bill passed parliament in a first reading but stalled after the outcry from apartment owners, which quickly escalated into a political issue. Many opposition figures have supported the protest against the bill, with Alexei Navalny, a leading Putin critic who is campaigning for the presidency, visiting the rally on Sunday before he was led away by police as the crowd shouted, "We're with you Navalny!" Rossiya 24 state TV meanwhile aired a programme touting the mayor's plans, while making no mention of the protest. One of the mayor's aides, Anastasiya Rakova, tried to address the protesters Sunday but her voice was drowned out by shouts of "Shame" and "Stop lying!" (AFP)

Thousands rally in Moscow against plan to demolish Soviet-era flats

Hundreds of people including top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny were arrested on Sunday as thousands of Russians defied bans to stage protests across the country against corruption.

Navalny had called for the marches after publishing a detailed report this month accusing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of controlling a property empire through a shadowy network of nonprofit organisations.&nbsp;

The report has been viewed over 11 million times on YouTube, but so far Medvedev has made no comment on the claims.

Sunday&#39;s march in Moscow was one of the biggest unauthorised demonstrations in recent years, with police putting turnout at 7,000-8,000 people.

Police detained Navalny, who has announced plans to run for president in the 2018 election, as he was walking to the protest, putting him in a police minibus.

The crowd briefly tried to block it from driving off, shouting &quot;Shame!&quot; and &quot;Let him out!&quot;

&quot;Guys, I am all right, go on along Tverskaya,&quot; Navalny tweeted from the van.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
Expect no criticism from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Trump?src=hash">#Trump</a> as arrests begin during &#39;illegal&#39; mass protests against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Putin?src=hash">#Putin</a>&#39;s corrupt <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Russia?src=hash">#Russia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/trumprussia?src=hash">#trumprussia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/theresistance?src=hash">#theresistance</a> <a href="https://t.co/4TQCb7yefY">pic.twitter.com/4TQCb7yefY</a>
&mdash; Jonathan Beeley (@foreignpolicy77) <a href="https://twitter.com/foreignpolicy77/status/845968290736492545">March 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Police said about 500 people had been arrested in Moscow, while OVD-Info, a website that monitors the detention of activists, said at least 700 had been detained, as well as dozens in other cities.

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I took a photo of police detaining a guy at <a href="https://twitter.com/navalny">@navalny</a> protest so they detained me as well even though I repeatedly said I was a journalist <a href="https://t.co/vbsZF7CTtl">pic.twitter.com/vbsZF7CTtl</a>
&mdash; Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASLuhn/status/845964702861725696">March 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Interfax news agency said 130 people were arrested in Saint Petersburg, where about 4,000 people gathered in the city centre.

&quot;We&#39;re tired of the lies, we have to do something,&quot; Sergei Timofeyev, a 23-year-old protester in Saint Petersburg, told AFP.

A spokeswoman for Navalny&#39;s Anti-corruption Foundation (FBK) said on Twitter than he would be held overnight before being brought before a judge on Monday.

He will face charges of calling a rally that disrupted public order, and could be held for up to 15 days.

From his cell, Navalny posted on Twitter that he was &quot;proud&quot; of the protesters and said the mass detentions were &quot;understandable&quot;.

&quot;The thieves defend themselves this way. But you cannot arrest everyone who is against corruption. There are millions of us,&quot; he wrote.

&nbsp;

&#39;They steal and lie&#39;

Thousands of people filled&nbsp;central Pushkin Square, some shouting &quot;Russia without Putin&quot;, referring to President Vladimir Putin. Some climbed on to lamp posts and the monument to poet Alexander Pushkin, shouting &quot;impeachment!&quot;

Dozens of police vans and rows of riot officers were lined up as a police helicopter hovered overhead.

&quot;We have all seen the movie, it gives specific examples of corruption, and there has been no reaction,&quot; Nikolai Moisey, a 26-year-old factory worker, said of the claims against Medvedev.

&quot;They steal and they lie but still people will be patient to the end. The protest is a first push for people to start acting.&quot;

Police officers moved to detain protesters and clear the square, with some using truncheons and pepper spray to disperse the crowd, AFP correspondents said.

Police also searched FBK offices over alleged incitement to hatred, and &quot;Everyone was detained and brought to the police,&quot; the organisation&#39;s spokeswoman Kira Iarmych said.

&nbsp;

&#39;99 cities&#39;

Despite the dramatic scenes in Moscow, state TV did not cover the protests, instead showing soap operas and nature films.

&quot;The whole country is tired of corruption on such a scale,&quot; 50-year-old Natalia Demidova said. &quot;Medvedev should be fired once such exposes come to light.&quot;

Elsewhere, about 2,000 gathered in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, carrying signs such as &quot;No to corruption,&quot; according to local news website Sib.fm.

Some held up images of yellow rubber ducks, following reports that Medvedev has a special house for a duck on one of his properties.

Local media estimated about 1,500 people turned out in each of the Siberian cities of Krasnoyarsk and Omsk.

The Russian constitution allows public gatherings, but recent laws have criminalised protests unauthorised by city authorities, who frequently refuse to grant permission for rallies by Kremlin critics.

Navalny said on his website that 99 Russian cities planned to protest, but that in 72 of them the local authorities did not give permission, citing reasons such as street cleaning, a bell-ringing concert and rival events by various pro-Kremlin groups.

The authorities had also pressured students not to attend, with some cities even scheduling exams for Sunday, according to reports.

In the far-eastern city of Vladivostok, about 700 people nonetheless turned up, local website Prima Media said, and a dozen people were detained by the national guard.

In the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, about 1,000 people turned up, according to local Znak.com website.

Navalny, a 40-year-old lawyer by training announced plans to run for the presidency after he won a surprise 27 per cent of the vote in the Moscow mayoral election in 2013.

But he has been the subject of several legal prosecutions in recent years, and in February he was found guilty of embezzlement and given a five-year suspended sentence which could make him ineligible to run in next year&#39;s vote.

(AFP)

Police detained Alexei Navalny, a major Putin critic, who has announced plans to run for president in the 2018 election

Hundreds of people including top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny were arrested on Sunday as thousands of Russians defied bans to stage protests across the country against corruption. Navalny had called for the marches after publishing a detailed report this month accusing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of controlling a property empire through a shadowy network of nonprofit organisations. The report has been viewed over 11 million times on YouTube, but so far Medvedev has made no comment on the claims. Sunday's march in Moscow was one of the biggest unauthorised demonstrations in recent years, with police putting turnout at 7,000-8,000 people. Police detained Navalny, who has announced plans to run for president in the 2018 election, as he was walking to the protest, putting him in a police minibus. The crowd briefly tried to block it from driving off, shouting "Shame!" and "Let him out!" "Guys, I am all right, go on along Tverskaya," Navalny tweeted from the van. Expect no criticism from #Trump as arrests begin during 'illegal' mass protests against #Putin's corrupt #Russia #trumprussia #theresistance pic.twitter.com/4TQCb7yefY — Jonathan Beeley (@foreignpolicy77) March 26, 2017 × Police said about 500 people had been arrested in Moscow, while OVD-Info, a website that monitors the detention of activists, said at least 700 had been detained, as well as dozens in other cities. I took a photo of police detaining a guy at @navalny protest so they detained me as well even though I repeatedly said I was a journalist pic.twitter.com/vbsZF7CTtl — Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) March 26, 2017 × The Interfax news agency said 130 people were arrested in Saint Petersburg, where about 4,000 people gathered in the city centre. "We're tired of the lies, we have to do something," Sergei Timofeyev, a 23-year-old protester in Saint Petersburg, told AFP. A spokeswoman for Navalny's Anti-corruption Foundation (FBK) said on Twitter than he would be held overnight before being brought before a judge on Monday. He will face charges of calling a rally that disrupted public order, and could be held for up to 15 days. From his cell, Navalny posted on Twitter that he was "proud" of the protesters and said the mass detentions were "understandable". "The thieves defend themselves this way. But you cannot arrest everyone who is against corruption. There are millions of us," he wrote. 'They steal and lie' Thousands of people filled central Pushkin Square, some shouting "Russia without Putin", referring to President Vladimir Putin. Some climbed on to lamp posts and the monument to poet Alexander Pushkin, shouting "impeachment!" Dozens of police vans and rows of riot officers were lined up as a police helicopter hovered overhead. "We have all seen the movie, it gives specific examples of corruption, and there has been no reaction," Nikolai Moisey, a 26-year-old factory worker, said of the claims against Medvedev. "They steal and they lie but still people will be patient to the end. The protest is a first push for people to start acting." Police officers moved to detain protesters and clear the square, with some using truncheons and pepper spray to disperse the crowd, AFP correspondents said. Police also searched FBK offices over alleged incitement to hatred, and "Everyone was detained and brought to the police," the organisation's spokeswoman Kira Iarmych said. '99 cities' Despite the dramatic scenes in Moscow, state TV did not cover the protests, instead showing soap operas and nature films. "The whole country is tired of corruption on such a scale," 50-year-old Natalia Demidova said. "Medvedev should be fired once such exposes come to light." Elsewhere, about 2,000 gathered in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, carrying signs such as "No to corruption," according to local news website Sib.fm. Some held up images of yellow rubber ducks, following reports that Medvedev has a special house for a duck on one of his properties. Local media estimated about 1,500 people turned out in each of the Siberian cities of Krasnoyarsk and Omsk. The Russian constitution allows public gatherings, but recent laws have criminalised protests unauthorised by city authorities, who frequently refuse to grant permission for rallies by Kremlin critics. Navalny said on his website that 99 Russian cities planned to protest, but that in 72 of them the local authorities did not give permission, citing reasons such as street cleaning, a bell-ringing concert and rival events by various pro-Kremlin groups. The authorities had also pressured students not to attend, with some cities even scheduling exams for Sunday, according to reports. In the far-eastern city of Vladivostok, about 700 people nonetheless turned up, local website Prima Media said, and a dozen people were detained by the national guard. In the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, about 1,000 people turned up, according to local Znak.com website. Navalny, a 40-year-old lawyer by training announced plans to run for the presidency after he won a surprise 27 per cent of the vote in the Moscow mayoral election in 2013. But he has been the subject of several legal prosecutions in recent years, and in February he was found guilty of embezzlement and given a five-year suspended sentence which could make him ineligible to run in next year's vote. (AFP)

Russian opposition leader, hundreds of others arrested at Moscow protest

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