Nationalist riots broke out in Moscow and St. Petersburg on Saturday as police dispersed protests in both cities against the killing of a Moscow football fan. Yegor Sviridov, 28, was killed last week during a brawl in northern Moscow between football fans and migrants from the North Caucasus.
The St. Petersburg demonstration, which involved some 1,000 people, was sanctioned by the authorities but turned violent as police attempted to prevent its participants from blocking a road.
The Moscow rally was not sanctioned, which resulted in 29 people, including at least eight riot police officers, being injured in clashes. The demonstration, which took place on Manezh Square next to the Kremlin wall, involved some 5,000 people, mostly football fans and members of nationalist movements.