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St. Petersburg’s police refutes media reports about policeman’s death during protest rally

About 3,000 people took part in an unauthorized opposition rally in central Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG, March 26. /TASS/. St. Petersburg’s police have refuted media reports about a policeman’s death who was beaten up by participants in an unauthorized opposition rally in the city.

"Reports about the death of a policeman who protected public order in St. Petersburg are not true," a spokesman for the Russian interior ministry’s St. Petersburg department told TASS on Sunday.

Earlier a police spokesman told TASS about 3,000 people took part in an unauthorized opposition rally in central Petersburg. He said that protocols of administrative offense were drawn up against four participants.

The rally started on Marsovo Pole Square at 14:00 Moscow time. An hour later, protesters staged an unsanctioned march along the Griboyedov Canal embankment and Nevsky Prospekt Avenue down to the Palace Square. Protesters were chanting slogans as they were walking. Several hundreds of protesters continued the rally on the Palace Square for about one hour.