In case of demonstrations against President Vladimir Putin, media reports show that many people are festgenommenworden. In St. Petersburg alone, according to Civil rights organization, OVD-Info had at least 66 arrests when a government-critical demonstration was dissolved by police. As representatives of opposition came forward, it was also mainly in cities of Tver and Samara in centre of country to arrest.

To protest to Putin's 65 birthday this Saturday had derOppositionspolitiker Alexei Navalny called. Rallies were planned in about 80 cities.

In Moscow, authorities banned GeplantenVersammlungen in city centres. Neverless, several hundred demonstrators gared under motto "SA Nawalnego" (for Navalny) Amzentralen Pushkin Square. They chanted "Russia without Putin!"; Some held inflatable yellow ducks in ir hands, a sign of Antikorruptionsbewegung, who also had 41-year-old Nawalnyverschrieben. According to eyewitness witnesses, police presence was strengned in capital city, police had Menschenaber initially granted. Officials, however, made announcements, action was not allowed, and passersby should not be disturbed.

In St. Petersburg biggest demonstration was planned for evening, but it was also banned VonBehörden. Already hours before Kundgebungwar a large police force in Martian field at Neva Shore immission. According to reports, a lawyer from NawalnysStab had already been detained in St. Petersburg in morning. In St. Petersburg, too, police initially withdrew when more than 1,000 people gared in a park and n moved through city, paralysed traffic and shouted "Russia without Putin!" Later, officials attacked demonstrators when some of m wanted to break through police chains. Numerous demonstrators were arrested. St. Petersburg has many OppositionelleSymbolcharakter: Putin was born in second largest Russian city and began his political career re.

Freedom for Navalny, call demonstrators in St. Petersburg. Thousands of people move towards city centre. #dpareporter @DPA Pic.twitter.com/hAWEH5WCbR

— Claudia Thaler (@clathaler) October 7th, 2017

Most of approximately 80 rallies were not approved by Russian authorities, but, as in Moscow, police refused to dissolve demonstrations. However, Russian media reported numerous präventivenFestnahmen before demonstrations. The civil rights PortalOVD-Info reported at least 80Fälle in early afternoon. The most severe is police in Siberian city of Yakutsk, where several dozen demonstrators were detained.

Is Navalny allowed to compete as a presidential candidate?

President Putin will be 65 years old this Saturday. He's been in power since DemJahr 2000. Between 2008 and 2012 he was head of government, orwise always president. Several heads of state of Allied ex-Soviet republics congratulated Putinund reaffirmed ir close partnership with Russia. Wher he will be in next year for anor term as head of State, He has not yet decided on his own information. Dieswird, however, is generally expected.

The politician Navalny himself could not demonstrate. He giltals one of Putin's best-known critics and could compete as möglicherHerausforderer Putin in presidential election of 2018. However, Electoral Commission did not give him participation because it had been convicted of fraud. In March and June, Zehntausende people were following call of 41-year-old lawyer to protest against Putin. There was schwerenZusammenstößen between police and predominantly young demonstrators. Hundreds of people were arrested.

Navalny is currently in custody again. He was arrested Warim September on way to a demonstration. On Monday, a Moscow court sentenced him to a 20-tägigenHaftstrafe because he had repeatedly called to participate in non genehmigtenKundgebungen.

Date Of Update: 08 October 2017, 12:11