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About 1,500 people gather for protest action in St. Petersburg

At the very start of the rally the organizers asked the police to take away several young people

ST. PETERSBURG, December 24 (Itar-Tass) — About 1,500 people went on the square in front of the Young Spectator Theatre in St. Petersburg, where an opposition rally under the slogan “For Fair Elections!” continues, chief of the information department in the police of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region Sergei Shevchuk told Itar-Tass on Saturday. “The event is held without any incidents and detentions so far,” he said.

The St. Petersburg authorities permitted the rally. The protesters demand to cancel the election results and to recount the votes that, according to them, were counted with numerous violations, as at previous demonstrations in St. Petersburg after the State Duma elections. Numerous opposition organizations in the city are participating in the protest action. However, the flags of the political party A Just Russia are noticed on the square. At the beginning of the rally A Just Russia leader Sergei Mironov, who stated about his intentions to run in the presidential elections, addressed to the demonstrators.

At the very start of the rally the organizers asked the police to take away several young people, who were taken for saboteurs by the organizing committee of the rally. Meanwhile, young people were released several minutes later, because Sergei Mironov asked the police about this.

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