About 2,500 People Take Part In Unauthorized Rallies In Russia's Yekaterinburg - Ministry

About 2,500 people on Wednesday took to the streets of the Russian city of Yekaterinburg to take part in unsanctioned rallies, the regional Public Security Ministry told Sputnik

YEKATERINBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st April, 2021) About 2,500 people on Wednesday took to the streets of the Russian city of Yekaterinburg to take part in unsanctioned rallies, the regional Public Security Ministry told Sputnik.

Russian cities are seeing unauthorized rallies in support of jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny. Earlier in the day, the Yekaterinburg city authorities said that the number of protesters was about 5,000.

"According to an updated estimate as of 8.50 p.m. [15:50 GMT], taking into account that many people were on their way home from work or were outside for other reasons, the number of actual participants in an unauthorized public rally in Yekaterinburg is about 2,500 people," the ministry said.

Elsewhere in Russia, police detained some 50 people in the city of Ufa.

According to a Sputnik correspondent, law enforcement officers repeatedly warned residents of responsibility for participating in unauthorized rallies and asked crowds to disperse.

The city of St. Petersburg has, meanwhile, stepped up its security in downtown as crowds are starting to gather. The law enforcement authorities cordoned off the streets adjacent to Palace Square.

In Moscow, police detained a man near the Russian State library carrying what is believed to be a bat in his backpack.

On Monday, the Russian government refused to authorize rallies scheduled for April 21 and May 1 due to the COVID-19 restrictions. As Navalny's supporters have been calling on Russians to participate in unauthorized rallies on April 21, the Russian authorities keep calling to abstain from participation, as they have pledged to suppress any aggression and provocations.