A protester holds a placard reading ‘Putin lies’ during an opposition rally in central Moscow, on March 10, 2019, to demand internet freedom in Russia.
The mass rally in Moscow and smaller events in other cities across the country was called after the Russian lower house of parliament backed a bill to stop Russian internet traffic from being routed on foreign servers, in a bid to boost cybersecurity. Activists counting people said more than 15,000 people have turned up to listen to internet and media rights activists as well as music performers who have complained of government pressure in recent months.
Police detained several people without explanation. An AFP correspondent saw a man being dragged away by arms and legs near the entrance to the rally.