MOSCOW, May 17 (Itar-Tass) — The person who attack a policeman in the area of Kudrinskaya Square in Moscow has been identified and detained, the pres service of the city's main police department told journalists on Thursday.
“The opposition action participants in a park in Kudrinskaya Square who hit a policeman when the police were cutting short illegal actions of the opposition, has been identified. The offender has been detained,” an official of the city police press service said.
The injured police officer was taken to a clinic for medical examination.
The detained man was taken to the Krasnaya Presnya district police office for further prosecution in accordance with the law.
About 1,500 protesters are staying the square in front of ‘Stalin’s skyscraper’ near the Barrikadnaya metro station. They are divided into two groups. One is near the road leading to the Garden Ring. The most active rally participants are putting questions to the OMON riot policemen standing in the cordon trying to figure out why detentions have been made, however, get no reply from the police officers.
Another group is staying in the park near the fountain. The ‘camp’ participants after holding an assembly decided to stay in the Barrikadnaya metro station area.
The police accuse the protesters of entering the roadway in the area of the Barrikadnaya metro station. Measures have been taken to restore public order, the press service of the Moscow main police department reported earlier.
“On Wednesday evening, opposition members brought food to the Barrikadnaya metro station area and tried to set up a field kitchen. Police officers came to check the documents, including support documentation for the food, however, the opposition had no such documents,” the police department’s press service said.
According to the police spokesman, the police invited two people to come to the police office for an inquiry and clarification of all circumstances, and took them to a bus. “After that an opposition group surrounded a police bus that was parked in a square near the Barrikadnaya metro station and damaged it, tearing off the wing mirror.
“Simultaneously, these citizens almost completely blocked motor traffic in the street. The police have taken measures to restore public order,” the spokesman said.
A total of about 20 people, including co-chair of the Solidarity movement Ilya Yashin, were detained.
By midnight, the situation in the Barrikadnaya metro area stabilised and was taken under the control by the police. However, because of the incident part of the street leading to the Garden Ring Road, was closed to traffic.
Another opposition ‘camp’ is located in Arbat Street, behind a monument to Bulat Okudzhava, but it is small and there are about 20 people there. The situation in Arbat Street is calm.