Arrests at Moscow protest against gatherings ban

Описание: (25 Jul 2020) Dozens of people were detained in Moscow on Saturday after a left-wing opposition group handed in a petition demanding the end of a ban on mass gatherings in the city.
Around 50 Left Front activists assembled outside the Russian general prosecutor's office calling for a reversal of the ban enforced in Russia's capital since the outbreak of the coronavirus in late March.
According to arrest-monitoring group OVD-Info, around 26 people were detained.
Moscow has lifted most of its original coronavirus restrictions, but outdoor mass events are still on hold.
The city's mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, wrote in his blog that the ban was still in place because it was impossible to ensure crowds would comply to social distancing measures.
More than 100 activists from another left-wing movement called "For New Socialism" also protested in Moscow's centre on Saturday.
Protesters marched in support of their leader, Nikolay Platoshkin, who is currently charged with inciting mass riots.
Police detained dozens of demonstrators wearing t-shirts with Platoshkin's portrait.
Russia has registered 5,871 confirmed cases of coronavirus on Saturday, bringing country's total to 806,720.

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