Four arrested during rally opposing constitutional amendments in St. Petersburg

At least four people were arrested in St. Petersburg during a “Stop the Amendments” rally against changes to the Russian constitution, reports OVD-Info. More than 100 people reportedly attended the protest.

Three of the detainees — Vladimir Shipitsyn, Alexey Arkhipov, and Pavel Ivankin — were formally arrested because of another protest action, OVD-Info says. 

Only one person, Vladislav Slepov, was actually arrested at the protest location on Palace Square. He was released almost immediately, after being given a warning. 

After the rally on Palace Square ended, activists planned to gather “in solidarity with Muscovites” outside of St. Petersburg’s Galereya Shopping Center at 6:00 p.m. (a protest rally was also supposed to start in Moscow at the same time).

According to the Telegram channel “Obyetkiv Realiy” police stopped a “car with activists” on St. Petersburg’s Troitsky bridge, in order to arrest one of the activists inside, Evgeny Musin. Judging by a photo, Musin didn’t get out of the vehicle. Police then blocked the car, preventing the activists from leaving the scene.