Hundreds Arrested in Moscow Amid Violent Crackdowns on Opposition Protests

5,682 次觀看・3 年前

Demonstrations in cities across Russia on Saturday, January 23, ended in thousands of arrests nationwide after police cracked down on protesters rallying for the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Footage from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty shows violent scuffles between police and demonstrators in Moscow, with riot police using their batons to strike unarmed protesters.

Protests had been taking place across Russia that day in support of Navalny, who was detained in Moscow on January 17 after flying back from Germany. Navalny had been in Berlin recovering from his alleged poisoning in August 2020.

The OVD-Info group that monitors political persecution said more than 2,500 people had been detained across dozens of towns and cities, including 952 in Moscow alone. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful