Protests in Moscow called by Navalny

Protesters gathered in Moscow to reject the barring of some opposition and independent candidates from the Moscow City Council election on September 8. For the past month, demonstrators have shown their discontent on a weekly basis.

Opposition politician Alexei Navalny's team organized the demonstration. The opposition leader was just recently released from a 30-day jail sentence for holding unsanctioned protests. In addition to rallying for banned candidates, marchers were also seen holding placards demanding freedom for political prisoners

Lyubov Sobol (right), an associate of Navalny and one of those whose candidacy had been rejected, took part in the demonstrations. "Our demands are right and reasonable. We have significant support, we have the right to be on the ballot," Sobol said. "I want political rights of Muscovites to be respected."

The police have been criticized for their handling of the protests, which have seen some 2,000 people arrested. This time, officers did not try to detain protesters, but asked them to leave through loudspeakers. The march, like many, had not been authorized to take place, a legal requirement in Russia in recent years.

Some clashes took place at the march between demonstrators and others seeking to disrupt the demos. Moscow's city council has relatively little power and its election does not usually garner this much attention. But the candidates' disqualification touched a nerve with citizens' frustration with their country's restrictive politics.