Russian police detained at least 170 people, including chess champion Garry Kasparov, today as they snuffed out an attempt by opponents of President Vladimir Putin to protest near the Kremlin.
Activists had planned to gather at a city center square about one km (half a mile) from the Kremlin to protest at what they say is Putin's trampling of democratic freedoms and demand a fair vote to choose a new president in 2008.
Teams of riot police, acting on a ruling from the city authorities banning the protest, pounced on protesters as they appeared in small groups near the square and swiftly loaded them into buses.
"The authorities are afraid of their own citizens and they do not want citizens to influence what is happening in the country," Mikhail Kasyanov, a leader of the Other Russia opposition coalition that organized the protest said.
"On the eve of the elections ... of course the authorities are terribly scared of this and today's excessive actions by the police (are proof of that)," said Kasyanov, a former prime minister under Putin.
An aide to Kasparov, also an Other Russia leader, confirmed the former chess grandmaster was among those detained. A police source said he was likely to be charged with incitement to violence.
Later, small groups of protesters gathered at another square a few kilometers away waving Russian flags and roses and shouting "Russia without Putin." Police dispersed them.
The protesters have marginal influence in Russia. The vast majority of voters back Putin, who has overseen rising incomes and political stability. But Kremlin loyalists say the protesters are dangerous extremists plotting a revolution.
The protest came a day after Russian multi-millionaire Boris Berezovsky said in a newspaper interview from his London base that he was fomenting revolution in Russia. The protest organizers distanced themselves from Berezovsky.
"Thanks to the well-coordinated actions of the riot police and Moscow police, we were able to prevent an illegal gathering being carried out," said Moscow police chief spokesman Viktor Biryukov.
"Police acted in a proportionate way ... and strictly in accordance with the law. As of 1:30 p.m. (0930 GMT), about 170 people have been held, these were the most aggressive participants in the unauthorized actions."
Police said they had mobilized 9,000 officers around the center of Moscow on Saturday to keep order. There was a massive security presence around the square, in the shadow of a statue to poet Alexander Pushkin, where the protesters had planned to congregate.
At least a thousand police could be seen in the square and on the streets leading into it. A water cannon truck and several police trucks were stationed on the street leading from the square to the Kremlin.
Agencies
Our button
print version
