31.05 At Least 14 Detained at Unsanctioned Rally in Moscow
MOSCOW, May 31 (RIA Novosti) - Police detained 14 people, including radical opposition leader Eduard Limonov, during an unsanctioned rally at a traditional Strategy-31 protest rally in Moscows Triumfalnaya Square on Friday.
A total of 14 people were taken to police from the Triumfalnaya Square for various offences, a police spokesman said.
Another seven people were detained in Russias second largest city of St. Petersburg while chanting anti-government slogans during a parallel unsanctioned rally there, a local police spokesman said.
Russian opposition groups led by firebrand writer and politician Limonov traditionally rally on the last day of each month that has 31 days in defense of their right to freedom of assembly, as enshrined in Article 31 of the Russian Constitution. Such rallies often end in detentions.
