The action on Tverskaya street was not permitted by the mayor’s office, however, the head of the Fund of struggle against corruption Alexei Navalny urged to come to the center of Moscow and walk on the street expressing their position. MIA in this March 24 urged not to participate in unauthorized rallies and marches.
The first arrests in the capital began even before the officially announced start at 14:00. Police and riot police began to detain people with posters gathered on Pushkin square and near the metro station Belorusskaya. Active arrest began when the people began to gather near the monument to Pushkin and to hang their posters.
At the same time, the police called on the activists to disperse, saying that the agreed action place is situated in Sokolniki Park. However, the appeals of the employees of the interior Ministry caused the protesters laughing and chanting “Shame”, “We’re here just hanging out” and “He’s not Dimon.”
Around 14:15 GMT in the area of triumph square came Alexei Navalny, who also tried to pass on Tver, but he was quickly detained and placed in a paddy wagon. His supporters began to rock the police bus and began to block the road cars. The result was followed by further detentions and Riot police managed to clear the way and send the bus to the police station.
In the further part of activists have occupied part of the roadway between the metro stations Pushkinskaya and Mayakovskaya. This area was reinforced by the part of the police began to arrest protesters. As a result, the Riot police managed to clean up the street.
In further detentions continued in the square near the metro Pushkinskaya, where the police began gradually to oust the activists of the monument to Pushkin, applying the batons. In this case the police pulled out from the crowd of people continuing to send them into paddy wagons. By 16:20 GMT they managed to completely clear Pushkin square until the cinema “Russia”.
According to OVD info, just in the center of Moscow have been detained more than 130 people. GU MVD in Moscow reported that the official data will be published later.
The reason for the anti-corruption actions was the investigation of the Fund of struggle against corruption (FBK) concerning the estate of the Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, which said that the Prime Minister has “huge tracts of land in the elite areas and disposes of yachts and apartments in old mansions, as well as the agro-complexes and wineries in Russia and abroad”. The organizers intend to require the reaction of the authorities in published materials.
