Russian police detain dozens at opposition forum

Police say participants arrested for taking part in an event organised by an ‘undesirable’ organisation.

Russian police have detained about 150 participants of a forum of independent members of municipal councils, an action that comes amid the authorities’ multi-pronged crackdown on dissent. Police showed up at the gathering in Moscow on Saturday shortly after it opened, saying that all those present will be arrested for taking part in an event organised by an “undesirable” organisation. A police officer leading the raid said the detainees will be taken down to police precincts and charged with administrative violations. OVD-Info, an independent group monitoring arrests and political repression, said that more than 150 participants in the forum were detained.