Anti-Putin Protests flares up
Protesters against Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin have clashed with police in the capital Moscow, ahead of Putin’s inauguration on Monday for a third term.
The protest was peaceful until a small group of demonstrators tried to break through the lines of riot police.
Reports say opposition activists Alexei Navalny, Sergei Udaltsov and Boris Nemtsov have all been detained.
Police are blocking the protesters from crossing a bridge near the Kremlin.
A rival demonstration in support of Putin is also taking place.
The BBC’s Steve Rosenberg, who is at the opposition march, says protesters launched a sit-in by the lines.
They were refusing to leave unless Mr Putin’s inauguration was cancelled. They were also demanding an hour of TV airtime and new elections, our correspondent says.
Among the opposition leaders attending the demonstration are anti-corruption blogger and nationalist Navalny; left-wing activist Udaltsov; and liberal politician Boris Nemtsov.
