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30 policemen recognized as injured parties in Bolotnaya Square disturbances case

Special task force police reportedly left the Chistye Prudy area

MOSCOW, May 10 (Itar-Tass) — The Investigative Committee /SK/ recognized more than 30 policemen as injured parties in the case over calls for mass disturbances in Bolotnaya Square on May 6.

"More than 30 police officers were offered resistance and injured in the course of the public event," SK representative Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

"As of now, over 300 police officers who monitored public order have been questioned, and CCTV recordings that captured illegal actions have been retrieved. A number of expert examinations will be carried out, and SK investigators have inspected the scene using forensic equipment," Markin said.

Opposition activists Sergei Udaltsov and Alexei Navalny have been brought to the SK main department for questioning. They were arrested within the framework of a case over administrative offense, the spokesman said.

The SK opened criminal proceedings over the calls for riots under Article 212, Part 3 /"calls for mass disturbances"/ and Article 318, Part 1 /"using violence against government representatives"/.

Part of the persons who turned up for a public event coordinated with Town Hall on May 6, demanded that the authorities open the square, as the passage with metal detectors became too crowded. They then tried to break through the police cordon.

Some participants threw bottles and fires at police, and the most vigorous ones offered resistance to police trying to rip off their protective headgear. More than 400 persons were detained, including Opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov, Sergei Udaltsov and Alexei Navalny.

As of May 8, seven special task force police injured in the disturbances, remained in Moscow hospitals.

Earlier reports said 50 Opposition activists occupied the benches near the monument to Kunanbayev in Chistye Prudy in Moscow to continue their action on Thursday, but their numbers decreased considerably as subway stations opened and many had to go to work or colleges.

Special task force police reportedly left the Chistye Prudy area.