At least 350 held as anti-Putin protests sweep Russia: monitor

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Opposition supporters shout slogans during an unauthorized anti-Putin rally called by opposition leader Alexei Navalny on May 5, 2018 in Moscow, two days ahead of Vladimir Putin’s inauguration for a fourth Kremlin term./ AFP/

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — At least 350 people were detained at opposition protests across Russia on Saturday, as police violently attempted to disperse an unsanctioned rally in Moscow using tear gas, an independent monitor and AFP correspondents said.

Top opposition leader Alexei Navalny, his ally Nikolai Lyaskin and a number of their supporters were detained in Moscow as police roughly rounded up protesters, according to AFP correspondents.

Independent monitoring group OVD-Info said more than 350 people had been detained by police nationwide.

© Agence France-Presse