Over 50 detained in Russian March in Volgograd
VOLGOGRAD. Nov 4 (Interfax) - Several dozens of participants in the permitted Russian March were detained in Volgograd on Monday, a source from the regional police department told Interfax.
"Forty-eight persons have been detained for deviating from the approved route and moving towards the central market," he said.
Administrative charges were brought against two persons who had tried to set off flares.
Consistent with the statement of its organizers, the Russian March procession started from the Metroelektrotrans cultural center in the Volgograd Voroshilovsky district at 1 p.m., moved along central streets of the city and reached the Arts fountain on the upper terrace of the Central Embankment at 3 p.m. The march was supposed to end with a rally.
"Yet the rally was not held because the time was up and the rally was cancelled by the organizers. Some of the participants deviated from the designated route and headed towards the central market," the source said.
He noted that the demonstrators did not have enough time to hold their action the way it was planned because the column had stopped on its way.
"Three participants set off flares and were detained by the police. The column stopped for some time to demand the release of the detainees. In the end, they did not have enough time for the rally, and some of the demonstrators went to the shopping center and tried to walk into the market," the police source said.
He roughly estimated the number of action participants at over 600. Meanwhile, the Russian March organizers said they had gathered about 1,500 activists.
"The Russian March in Volgograd was dedicated to the Day of People's Unity and the Day of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan. Its main slogans were "Russians, Forward" and "Our Land - Our Rules"," an action organizer, head of the ROD human rights center Mikhail Yasin, told Interfax.
He said there were no major violations of public order until the column reached the Arts fountain.
"The square in front of the fountain was cordoned by the police and we decided not to hold it [the rally]. Some of the column headed towards the central market and then the detentions started," he said.
