Recent wave of Moscow protests was sparked by move to ban all but a few opposition candidates vying for city council.

Moscow, Russia – More than 1,000 people, including opposition leaders and city council election candidates, were arrested on Saturday as police cracked down on an unsanctioned demonstration for fair elections.

Hundreds of riot police and members of the national guard were dispatched to the centre of the capital, closing down streets near the planned protest site at city hall and rerouting demonstrators and bystanders.

The number of detentions, monitored by the independent OVD-Info group, was still growing after about 3,500 people had gathered. Prominent political figures were forcefully put into vans before the protest could start amid scuffles.

It was the second protest in Moscow within a week after last Saturday’s authorised rally for free local elections, attended by some 20,000 people, and one of the largest demonstrations in Russia since the 2011-12 rallies against President Vladimir Putin‘s re-election.

“Putin is a thief,” chanted dozens of protesters who took to Petrovka street, one of the fanciest areas in Moscow.

Police were quoted as saying by Russian news agencies that 1,074 people were arrested for a variety of offences.

“I’ve been scared all my life but enough is enough. If we stay home, nothing will change,” said Yelena Rastovka, a pensioner.

Alexandra Parushina, a council member of the Khamovniki district, was hit on the head by riot police. She was taken to an ambulance bloodied.

Opposition figure Alexey Navalny, who was at the forefront of last week’s demonstration, called for the second round of action in front of the city hall on Saturday. The anti-corruption lawyer has not been able to attend, though, as he was arrested on Wednesday and given 30 days in jail.

Other young liberal leaders and candidates for the City Duma – the regional parliament – elections, such as Dmitry Gudkov and Lyubov Sobol were put into custody after they arrived on site.

Видео задержания Любови Соболь. Она собиралась приехать к мэрии Москвы Видео: Алексей Коростелёв / Дождь pic.twitter.com/naYo5tvBIG — Дождь (@tvrain) July 27, 2019

Countrywide discontent

The recent wave of Moscow protests, which began with a round of smaller rallies between July 15 and 19, was sparked by the decision of the Russian election committee – strongly linked to central power – to ban all but a few opposition and independent candidates vying for the city council seats.

The move led to a campaign on social media among Moscow residents and activists to take to the streets.

The pushback also comes against a backdrop of growing discontent nationwide as Putin’s approval ratings slip.

The northern region of Arkhangelsk has been the theatre of a year-long battle and occupation by locals of the site of a huge new landfill to be built in the middle of an untouched forest. In the Urals metropolis of Yekaterinburg, thousands demonstrated for several days in May against the building of a new cathedral at a local park.

Given this climate of citizen anger and grassroots movements popping up in various regions, authorities have become wary of political opposition gaining any more traction as shown by Saturday’s crackdown.