70 persons detained by power agents in Triumphal Square, opposition asserts

In Moscow, Triumphal Square hosted an unsanctioned rally of people who wanted to express their discontent with the results of the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the Sixth Convocation. According to the preliminary information of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), about 30 persons were detained during the rally; the opposition reports that policemen detained 70 persons.

The organizers of the picket, the activists of the Other Russia, the "Left-Wing Front", and the "Solidarity", planned to lead to the streets as many people as possible.

However, practically, the rally was attended by much smaller number of citizens, than the rallies held on December 5 and 6, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

"We treat mass detentions and beatings of journalists, who performed their professional duties during the opposition protests in Moscow, as an attempt to shut the people's mouths, to intimidate people by demonstrating the power and the opportunity to violate the law openly and without punishment," the Russian Union of Journalists reproved the detentions.

Shortly before the protest action held on December 7, it was reported that the Tver Court of Moscow authorized a 15-day administrative arrest for Alexei Navalny, the "ITAR-TASS" reports.

Besides, on December 7, the complaint filed by the lawyer of Ilya Yashin, who was sentenced to a 15-day arrest by the magistrate court under Article "failure to obey to lawful order of a power official", was dismissed, the "Interfax" reports.

"Getting to rally place was not easy"

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent tried to get to the rally from the "Mayakovskaya" metro station, the nearest one to Triumphal Square. However, the correspondent did not succeed, since policemen stood near the metro exit and demanded that all people should "pass by and not linger."

The passage from the "Tverskaya" metro station along Tverskaya Street in the direction of Triumphal Square was free; however, to get to the rally place was not easy. At the roadside, armoured vehicles "Tiger" and "Punisher" stood close to each other; and the sidewalks were occupied by OMON (riot police) fighters with truncheons in armoured jackets and helmets and staff members of internal troops.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by law enforcement agents that they were "place in operational readiness by the Moscow authorities because of the received information about the impending mutiny."

At the very Tverskaya Street, no protesters were seen. Several young people with scarves covering their faces went to the opposite direction from Triumphal Square.

"We came to the rally, and we are leaving now, since too little number of people came. We know that the picket is unsanctioned. And why should we ask for a sanction that it agree - the authorities OMON fighters are standing there, and they will take us now. Let us not gather in large companies," one of the young people told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

However, he did not say whether he or his friends were supporters of any political party or movement and why he had decided to take part in the protest action.

In several seconds after a conversation, the young people were approached by two policemen, who demanded to present their documents. After that, the young men were detained.

When asked why the protesters were detained, the law enforcement agents refused to answer the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The very Triumphal Square had a look as if no ordinary citizens or opposition activists and only journalists decided to attend the rally.

In total, about 60 media staff members, including correspondents of the federal TV channels, editions "Gazeta.ru", "BBC Russia", "Russia Today", the magazine "Itogi" (Results), and the agencies "Interfax" and RIA "Novosti", came to highlight the events. The very square was cordoned off with metal fences, and OMON fighters stood behind them.

As far as the protesters are concerned, only several activists managed to reach Triumphal Square. At the time when the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was at the place, the number of the activists amounted to no more than 40 persons.

For some time, police officers through a megaphone asked people to leave the place; however, no reaction followed. Then, policemen began to detain people.

According to the unconfirmed information provided by the rally participants, 70-80 persons, who tried to go directly to the square, were detained in the streets adjacent to Triumphal Square and in the metro.

Not many people witnessed detentions. A staff member of one of the media, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the detentions were conducted mainly in Sadovaya-Triumphalnaya Street.

According to the preliminary information announced by officials from the MIA's capital central office, about 30 activists were detained during the unsanctioned event. The opposition insistently reports on the number of at least 70 detainees.