St Petersburg protesters say were beaten by police

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, Aug 28 (Reuters) Anti-Kremlin activists in Russia's second city said police beat them today while crushing their attempt to stage an unauthorised protest.

Members of banned National Bolshevik Party had rallied outside the city office of the main pro-Kremlin party United Russia, demanding city council head Vadim Tyulpanov turn up in court where their comrades were being tried.

One of the protesters was wearing a pig mask and a shirt with 'TyulpanOFF' written across it.

''The riot police threw us on the ground and pushed us into the bus. One guy was beat in the face,'' local National Bolshevik leader Andrei Dmitriev Dmitriev told Reuters by telephone from a police station.

The head of the St Petersburg branch of the United Civil Front -- an opposition group headed by former world chess champion Garry Kasparov -- also took part in the protest and was detained.

Officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

National Bolsheviks are renowned for their exotic protests, including trademark sit-in demonstrations in government offices.

Dozens of the party's activists have been sentenced for disrupting public order and its maverick leader, writer Eduard Limonov, spent nearly a year in jail.

In the past few years, President Vladimir Putin has initiated new legislation which strongly restricted street protests, sparking criticism from opposition parties that the Kremlin wanted to silence dissent.

Russia is preparing to hold presidential polls next March, in which Putin's successor will be elected. Putin has tasked the security bodies to ensure public security in the run-up.

REUTERS MS BST2235