Moscow election protest: LIVE updates

14:27: MSK: Police estimate the number of protesters at Bolotnaya Square at 7,000.

14:11 MSK: Organizers of the rally say activists will start delivering speeches at Bolotnaya Square later than expected, because many of the protesters have yet to arrive, reports RIA Novosti.

14:08 MSK: The majority of opposition leaders have left Revolution Square and are leading protesters towards Bolotnaya Square, reports the Russian news website lenta.ru.

13:59 MSK: Police are allowing the protesters into Bolotnaya Square. Earlier, the process was slowed down as people had to go through checkpoints where they were screened for concealed weapons and alcoholic drinks.

13:48 MSK: Police have cordoned off Moscow’s Triumfalnaya Square, where the Russian opposition have traditionally held their protest rallies. As many were unauthorized, they ended with police detaining protesters.

13:46 MSK: The Interior Ministry reports that a total of 45 people have so far been detained across Russia for taking part in unsanctioned rallies and violating public order on Saturday.

13:40 MSK: People are flocking en masse to Moscow’s Bolotnaya Square.

13:34 MSK: Protests in Perm saw minor public disturbances which ended with 15 people being detained. Police say they will charge five of them and the rest will be released. The demonstration attracted several dozen people, reports Interfax.

13:33 MSK: A rally in the Siberian city of Tomsk has gathered up to 3,000 people so far, according to estimates. Local police say more protesters are arriving.

13:26 MSK: Some 4,000 people have gathered on the banks of the Moscow River in proximity to Bolotnaya Square, RT’s crew reports.

13:22 MSK: Protests in Orenburg and Izhevsk attracted about 200 people each, police said. Again, there were no reports of civil disturbances.

13:20 MSK: Other Russian cities also witnessed protest action on Saturday. In Novosibirsk, which is three times zones ahead of Moscow, between three and four thousand people took part in a sanctioned rally in the city center. The rally, which is almost over, passed off peacefully and no clashes with police have been reported, according to Interfax.

13:10 MSK: An RT crew of 30 people is covering the protests. You can follow us on Twitter.

13:08 MSK: The rallies are scheduled to start in less than an hour, at 14:00 Moscow Time.

13:01 MSK: Protest organizers just signed protest “bill of rights” for rally with Interior Ministry officials, RT’s Anissa Naoui reports.

13:00 MSK: The smaller of the two is being held at Revolution Square. It’s expected to number 300 people tops, because it would not be safe to hold a bigger event there. Bolotnaya Square will accommodate the rest of the protesters, with an estimated 30,000 expected to turn out.

13:00 MSK: Hello. It’s Saturday, December 10. Two simultaneous protest demos are taking place in Moscow. Participants are demanding an investigation into alleged fraud during last Sunday’s parliamentary election.

Leave a comment