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Moscow unauthorized rallies’ organizers sought to drag citizens into riots - mayor

The Moscow authorities had warned the rally’s participants about their responsibility and that they must not violate the law

Sergei Sobyanin
Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Sergei Sobyanin

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, August 4. /TASS/. Organizers of unauthorized rallies in the Russian capital sought to involve their participants in riots, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in his interview with TVC, shown by Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday.

"Obviously, not all who attended the rally had expected this scenario. But the organizers, apparently, sought to drag them into riots," Sobyanin said. According to the mayor, many of those who participated in the rally had no relation to the upcoming elections to the Moscow City Duma (parliament).

"Many participants of riots had no relation to Moscow and moreover, the elections to the Moscow City Duma. I’m sure that Muscovites understand this very well," the mayor said, stressing that the riots were aimed at pursuing someone’s political and selfish goals.

The Moscow authorities had warned the rally’s participants about their responsibility and that they must not violate the law. The police had warned about the risks of various provocations at the unauthorized rally on August 3 and called on citizens and guests of the capital to avoid participation in it.

According to the Interior Ministry’s department in Moscow, some 600 people were detained for taking part in the unauthorized rally in Moscow on Saturday, which drew nearly 1,500 people.

A criminal case was opened into using violence against representatives of authorities and participation in mass riots. According to the Investigative Committee, more than 10 citizens took an active part in staging mass riots in downtown Moscow. Six of them have been arrested under the court’s ruling. A total of 1,000 participants of the rally have been detained and 88 of them have been placed under administrative arrest.

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