Opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin will come out today for an unauthorised march through central Moscow that organisers have said could be broken up by riot police.
Russian police detained at least 170 people, including chess champion Garry Kasparov, today as they snuffed out an attempt by opponents of President Vladimir Putin to protest near the Kremlin.
Activists had planned to gather at a city centre square about half a mile from the Kremlin to protest at what they say is Mr Putin's suppression of democratic freedoms ahead of presidnetial elections in 2008.
Teams of riot police, acting on a ruling from the city authorities banning the protest, pounced on protesters as they appeared in small groups near the square and swiftly loaded them into buses, witnesses said.
"The authorities are afraid of their own citizens and they do not want citizens to influence what is happening in the country," Mikhail Kasyanov, a leader of the Other Russia opposition coalition that organised the protest, said.
"On the eve of the elections ... of course the authorities are terribly scared of this and today's excessive actions by the police [prove it]," said Mr Kasyanov, a former prime minister under Mr Putin.
An aide to Mr Kasparov, also an Other Russia leader, confirmed the former chess grandmaster was among those detained. A police source said he was likely to be charged with incitement to violence.
Later, small groups of protesters gathered at another square a few miles away waving Russian flags and roses and shouting "Russia without Putin." Police dispersed them and a Reuters reporter saw several being led away to police vans.
The protesters have marginal influence in Russia. The vast majority of voters back Mr Putin, who has overseen rising incomes and political stability. Kremlin loyalists say the protesters are dangerous extremists plotting a revolution.
The protest came a day after Russian multi-millionaire Boris Berezovsky said in a newspaper interview from his London base that he was fomenting revolution in Russia. The protest organisers distanced themselves from him.
"Thanks to the well-co-ordinated actions of the riot police and Moscow police, we were able to prevent an illegal gathering being carried out.
"Police acted in a proportionate way ... and strictly in accordance with the law," said Moscow police chief spokesman Viktor Biryukov.
Four Reuters journalists were detained as they covered the clashes. All four were later released without charge.