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31 people trying to hold unauthorized rally detained in central Moscow - interior ministry

In Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg, according to the interior ministry, police detained one activist taking part in an unsanctioned rally

© Sergey Fadeichev/TASS

MOSCOW, April 2. /TASS/. Thirty-one who attempted to hold an unauthorized opposition rally in Moscow’s central Triumfalnaya Square were detained by the police on Sunday, a spokesman for the Russian interior ministry told TASS.

"A total of 31 people were detained during an unauthorized rally near Triumfalnaya Square on charges of violations of public order," a spokesman said.

According to a police source, seven more people were detained near Manezhnaya Square, just a stone’s throw from the Kremlin.

In Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg, according to the interior ministry, police detained one activist taking part in an unsanctioned rally. Authorized rallies organized by various public associations were held on Sunday in a number of Russian cities. According to the ministry, these rallies failed to bring together many participants. "Thus, some twenty people take part in a rally in Ryazan, 20 - in Ivanovo, 13 - in Yakutsk, 40 - in Barnaul," the spokesman said.

Biggest rallies were held in Novosibirsk (400 people), Samara (650 people), and Astrakhan (250 people).

"No violations of public order were reported during these rallies," the spokesman said.

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