Russian police have said they detained more than 1,000 people in central Moscow as protesters demanded opposition candidates be allowed to run for the Moscow city council.

Key points: About 30 people were disqualified from the election

About 30 people were disqualified from the election At least 50 arrests took place before the protest was scheduled to begin

At least 50 arrests took place before the protest was scheduled to begin All 45 Moscow city council seats, which have a five-year-term, are up for election

About 30 people were disqualified from the election with officials claiming they had failed to collect the 5,000 required valid signatures to stand in the September 8 poll.

But opposition leaders said they were barred for political reasons.

After earlier declaring the protest illegal, lines of helmeted riot police tried to push back the demonstrators, some of whom resisted physically.

Chants of "Russia will be free", "Russia without Putin" and "Putin resign" echoed through central Moscow as guardsmen clad in riot gear beat back protesters with batons and roughly detained people.

At least one woman appeared to suffered serious head wounds.

Several opposition members and aspiring candidates were detained before the protest. ( AP: Dmitry Serebryakov )

Hundreds were dragged away by police, while thousands of other protesters were corralled into nearby streets.

Police put participation at more than 3,500 people.

Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition figure, had called for Saturday's protest and on Wednesday was sentenced to 30 days in jail for doing so.

Raids and arrests carried out ahead of protest

Police blocked streets prior to the unsanctioned rally. ( AP: Alexander Zemlianichenko )

Before the protest, several opposition members and aspiring candidates were detained throughout the city, including Ilya Yashin, Dmitry Gudkov and top Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov.

More than 50 people in total were detained before the protest was scheduled to begin, including some who appeared to be passers by in the wrong place at the wrong time.

There was no immediate information on what charges the detainees might face. ( AP: Alexander Zemlianichenko )

One of those detained, Alexander Latyshev, 45, said he had came to discuss business with an associate and been randomly detained.

"I was just sitting on a bench [when they took me]," he said from inside a police bus.

Police had gathered early to block the streets from demonstrators with police trucks and buses positioned nearby to take detainees away.

Raids were also carried out, as police forced their way into Navalny's video studio as the studio was conducting a live webcast about the election protest.

Video of the raid, which was shown via YouTube, showed police barging in, ordering at least one staff member to lie on the floor and pushing furniture aside.



There was no immediate information on what charges the detainees might face.

The Moscow city council, which has 45 seats, is responsible for a very large municipal budget and is now controlled by the pro-Kremlin United Russia party.

All of its seats, which have a five-year-term, are up for election on September 8.

More than 50 people were detained before the protest was scheduled to begin. ( AP: Alexander Zemlianichenko )

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