Over 800 detained at rallies across Russia against Ukraine invasion, says monitor

Russian police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Manezhnaya square in central Moscow on March 13, 2022. (AFP)
Russian police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Manezhnaya square in central Moscow on March 13, 2022. (AFP)

MOSCOW — Russian police detained more than 800 people for protesting Moscow’s “military operation” in Ukraine today, as the conflict continues for a third week.

OVD-Info, which monitors arrests during protests, says police have detained 817 people during demonstrations in 37 cities in Russia.

An AFP journalist reporting from a protest in the capital Moscow witnessed at least a dozen arrests and says police were taking away anybody without press papers.

A young woman was shouting “peace to the world” as she was taken away by two policemen, the journalist says.

Some of the riot police had the letter “Z” in the colors of the Russian flag on their helmets, the AFP reporter says.

The letter, seen on Russian tanks and vehicles in Ukraine, has become a symbol of support for what Moscow calls its “special military operation.”

Law enforcement in Moscow say this evening that they detained around 300 people in the capital’s center for breaches of public order.

In Russia’s second largest city, St. Petersburg, AFP saw multiple arrests, including a protester being dragged across the ground.

The city’s central Nevsky Avenue was closed off by police, with a dozen police vans parked along the road.

According to AFP, several journalists were detained.

Last weekend, police arrested more than 5,000 protesters across Russia.

Protesters risk fines and possible prison sentences by taking to the streets.

OVD-Info says that 14,804 people have been detained at rallies across the country to protest Russian military incursion in Ukraine, which was launched on February 24.

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