Police arrests participants of 'Russian March' in Moscow

Moscow, Nov 4 (UNI) Moscow police here today arrested over 300 participants of the radical nationalist ''Russian March'', which was organising a rally to mark 'National Unity Day' against illegal immigration in the country, amid tight security.

Fearing the demonstrators may turn violent, city mayor Yury Lazhkov banned the rally, declaring ''he will not allow radical movements destroy Russia's unity''.

''About three hundred people have been detained,'' the State Duma Deputy Dmitry Rogozin told Interfax news agency.

Russia's nationalist forces had planned to hold massive rallies across the country today to mark 'National Unity Day', despite the 'refusal' of authorities to sanction the action.

Last year, the Russian government introduced for the first time November 4 as a holiday in the country, generally recognised as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, to mark Moscow's liberation from Polish invaders in 1612.

The new national holiday replaced November 7, which commemorated the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.

Last November, 3,000 people from radical right-wing movements, including the Movement Against Illegal Immigration, the Russian National Union, the National Patriotic Front Memory and skinheads, gathered for the 'Right March' here, chanting nationalist slogans such as ''Russia for Russians''.

In an attempt to avoid last year's embarrassment, Moscow and St Petersburg authorities banned the action.

Police said about 6,500 policemen had been deployed today to ensure security and stop any attempt to break the law.

Russian television channels reported supporters of the ''Russian March'' organised by radical nationalists clashed with activists from an anti-fascist movement on Nevsky Prospekt, the central street in St Petersburg, and police had to fire tear gas to stop unrest.

Racist trends in Russia have recently acquired dangerous forms, culminating in a series of high-profile brutal attacks and at least 10 murders of non-white people.

Xenophobic sentiments have also been trigerred by an influx of migrant workers from poorer former Soviet republics, particularly to rapidly developing Moscow and St Petersburg.

UNI XC KD RN1825