Police in Moscow detained over 130 people during protests

16/7/2020 19:05

        Police in Moscow detained over 130 people during a protest against the constitutional reform that allows President Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036.
        
        Moscow police say detained 132 protesters. The OVD-Info rights group that monitors arrests and detentions in Russia put the figure at 147.
        
        Several hundred people gathered in central Moscow to rally and leave signatures on a petition contesting the results of a nationwide vote on a set of constitutional amendments that extend Putin's rule, redistribute executive powers within the government, prioritize Russian law over international law and outlaw same-sex marriage.
        
        The changes elicited a lot of criticism, and so did the week-long vote organized in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, with independent observers and media outlets reporting numerous violations and incidents of suspected rigging.