Thousands march against Putin
SAINT PETERSBURG - Russian police violently broke up a rally in Saint Petersburg as thousands took to the streets across Russia on Saturday on President Vladimir Putin's birthday, urging him to quit power.
Heeding the call of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny to demand competitive elections, around 3, 000 people rallied in Russia's second city and Putin's hometown while more than a thousand demonstrated in the centre of Moscow, AFP reporters said.
But while police in rainy Moscow showed restraint, allowing the crowd of mostly young protesters to march in the city centre - in an apparent effort to avoid clashes on Putin's birthday - the rally in Saint Petersburg ended in violence.
At least 62 people were arrested, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors politically motivated arrests.