Russian police stop unauthorized protest

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Police in St. Petersburg, Russia, stopped an unauthorized protest Sunday, detaining dozens of protesters who allegedly clashed with them.

The demonstration by about 100 people came one day after police disrupted a similar anti-government protest in Moscow, RIA Novosti reported.

St. Petersburg's interior department said members of the National-Bolshevik Party were among the demonstrators, along with Union of Rights Forces leader Nikita Belykh.

Euronews.net reported that liberal leader Boris Nemtsov also was arrested during the unauthorized march, months before he is to take part in the Russian presidential elections.

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov and writer Eduard Limonov were among those detained Saturday during the Moscow protest, the Russian news agency reported.

While recent polls have found most Russians support President Vladimir Putin, his political reign has been harshly criticized by human rights advocates and been the target of numerous protests this year.