MOSCOW — Police in Moscow have arrested top opposition figures along with demonstrators after a protest march on the eve of Vladimir Putin's inauguration as president tried to reach the Kremlin.
The march by about 20,000 people to an island adjacent to the Kremlin proceeded peacefullySunday afternoon until a small group tried to break off andcross a bridge across the Moscow River, which was blocked by police.
As more people crowded toward the bridge, police sent reinforcements to the cordon, pushed demonstrators back to the rally site and began seizing demonstrators.
At the rally site, opposition leaders Sergei Udaltsov, Alexei Navalny and Boris Nemtsov were detained.
14:55 GMT: Clashes between police and demonstrators continue in several locations on Bolotnaya Square.
14:53 GMT: Police have shut down the rally on Bolotnaya Square citing violations of rally regulations.
14:30 GMT: Police are taking down prominent opposition figures from the stage as they try to address the crowd. Boris Nemtsov, Sergey Udaltsov and Aleksey Navalny have been detained.
14:23 GMT: Police have detained opposition leader Sergey Udaltsov as headdressed the demonstrators from the stage.
14:18 GMT: Police have accused the rally organizers of staging a provocation, saying some demonstrators refused to proceed tothe sanctioned venue, blocking the movement of other demonstrators.
14:15 GMT: Clashes erupt between policeand demonstrators, RIA Novosti reports. Rally participants are chanting “Shame on you” and “Let us pass”, trying to breakthe cordon.
14:11 GMT: Smoke is rising above the crowd of protesters marching to Bolotnaya Square. The opposition says they have canceled the rally at Bolotnayaand demand TV air time.
14:10 GMT: Demonstrators brokethe police cordon opposite Bolotnaya Square. Someone in the crowd has thrown a Molotov cocktail, Interfax reports.
14:00 GMT: Some demonstrators leave Bolotnaya Square to join the sit-down strike of the oppositionists. The crowd is chanting “We won`t leave”.
13:50 GMT : The opposition leaders including Aleksey Navalny and Sergey Udaltsov have starteda passive action opposite Bolotnaya Square, RIA Novosti reports. “We have begun a sit-down political strike,” Sergey Udaltsov said.
13:40 GMT: Several dozen demonstratorshave broken from the main rally, demanding police give them access to the Kremlin, chanting “Let us pass.”
13:10 GMT: A photographer has died while trying to get a better long shot of the rally. The man climbed to the fifth floor of one of a building, but failed to keep his balance and fell to the ground.
13:00 GMT: The organizers of the rally claim 20,000 to 40,000 participants.
12:40 GMT: First participants of the"March of Millions" rally have arrived in Bolotnaya Square. Some reports set the number of participants as high as 15,000, but police report 8,000 to 10,000.
12:25 GMT: Police have cordoned off Bolotnaya Square. The square is surrounded by metal barricades. The demonstrators will enter the square through metal detectors.
12:10 GMT: The demonstrators have begun marching towards Bolotnaya Square. They are carrying a 5-meter white ribbon, which has become a symbolof the recent protests. Police say about 10,000 are taking part in the rally.
12:00 GMT: Police have erected a metal barricade around Manege Square and reinforced security in front of the State Duma building.
11:25 GMT: Two activists have been arrested by police fortrying to smuggle tents containing fireworks and smoke bombs onto Bolotnaya Square.
11:19 GMT: Police have advised organizers of the rally to observe safety regulations when constructing the stage on Bolotnaya Square.
11:08 GMT: Activists from the “March of Millions” rally have gathered in Kaluga Square.
11:00 GMT : A lorry carrying equipment for the construction of a stage for the"March of Millions" rally has been allowed on to Bolotnaya Square by Moscow police.
10:45 GMT: The exits of a number of central Moscow’s metro stations will be closed as a precaution during the mass rallies.
10:02 GMT: Later in the evening a pro-government rallyis to take place. The expected turnout of that event is 50,000.
10:01 GMT: The event is to start sometime around 12:00 GMT and last for 3.5 hours.
10:01 GMT: The protesters demand snap election of the parliament and president, saying the recent ballots had been rigged.
10:00 GMT: The protest is held a day ahead of the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Vladimir Putin.
10:00 GMT: On Sunday, Russian opposition is holdinga demonstration in Moscow. The so-called “March of Millions” is expected to attract up to 5,000 people to the center of the capital.
http://rt.com/news/inauguration-demos-live-updates-684/
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Nothing really much has changed in that Country!