Russian police dispurse protesters as G8 MPs meet

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, Sep 16 (Reuters) Russian riot police today beat up and detained several opposition protesters who were urging a meeting of G8 parliamentarians to be more outspoken about the state of democracy in Russia.

Police dispersed a group of about a 100 activists from the radical left-wing National Bolshevik Party after about five minutes of their protest near the building where the G8 parliamentarians are meeting.

''We came to protest against the fact that participants of the parliamentary G8 are mostly holding receptions instead of talking seriously,'' Andrei Dmitriyev, head of National Bolshevik Party's St Petersburg division, said at the start of the rally.

''This confirms that Western countries have conspired with Russia to close their eyes on everything happening here in exchange for oil and gas.'' Russia heads the G8 group of economic powers this year.

Protesters carried banners reading ''Corrupted authorities have turned the people into slaves''.

Police said they detained 10 protesters but National Bolsheviks said the number was three to four times more.

The West has long accused Russia under President Vladimir Putin of back-tracking on democracy.

Critics say that, since his election in 2000, Putin has rolled back the democratic gains of the 1990s. They say he has closed media outlets, crushed independent businessmen, tamed the judiciary and shackled opposition parties and politicians.

REUTERS SY BST1913